Q&A Hero

Q: The idea of an organization being an open system was borrowed from this discipline. A) mathematics B) the physical sciences C) game theory D) psychology

Q: In an open system, a manager is responsible for managing ________. A) just the internal company itself and not the external environment B) just the external environment C) both the internal and the external environment D) the inputs but not the outputs

Q: Which of the following is true for employers who use independent contractors? A) Fair Labor Standards Act overtime requirements do not apply. B) Social Security taxes are higher than for regular employees. C) Federal income taxes are charged at a reduced rate. D) Payroll taxes are paid by the employer.

Q: Joseph worked 6 hours of overtime this week but has decided to take time off instead of overtime pay. How many hours will Joseph receive in time off from work? A) 3 hours B) 6 hours C) 9 hours D) 18 hours

Q: A typical organization can be characterized as ________. A) a one-way system B) a closed system C) an open system D) a virtual system

Q: Jill works as a cashier at a grocery store. She earns $10 an hour (or $400 for a 40-hour week). Last week, she worked 46 hours. What is the minimum amount that Jill earned last week? A) $460 B) $490 C) $520 D) $550

Q: A system is defined as a set of interrelated and interdependent parts that function ________. A) as separate entities B) together as a unified whole C) in competition with one another D) without any link to the outside world

Q: According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, what rate of normal pay would a covered employee receive for working more than 40 hours in a workweek? A) 50% B) 100% C) 150% D) 200%

Q: Managers began to look at how systems theory related to organizations in this decade. A) 1940s B) 1950s C) 1960s D) 1980s

Q: Which law makes it illegal to discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin? A) Fair Labor Standards Act B) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act C) Equal Pay Act D) Taft-Hartley Act

Q: Which of the following is a key element of total quality management (TQM)? A) responding to customer needs B) responding to employee needs C) anticipating moves of competitors D) anticipating employee needs

Q: One of the key components of total quality management (TQM) is a focus on ________ improvement. A) gradual B) dramatic C) continual D) meaningful

Q: Which of the following issues is NOT addressed by the Fair Labor Standards Act? A) record-keeping B) overtime pay C) child labor D) termination

Q: Which of the following is most closely associated with the work of W. Edwards Deming? A) total quality management B) the Hawthorne studies C) the general administrative theory D) the human relations movement

Q: Which compensation-related law contains provisions for minimum wage, maximum hours, overtime pay, equal pay, record-keeping, and child labor? A) Davis-Bacon Act B) Fair Wages Act C) Fair Labor Standards Act D) Walsh-Healey Public Contract

Q: These organizations were the first to employ the ideas of quality experts such as W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Duran. A) Japanese companies B) Chinese companies C) American companies D) Canadian companies

Q: Which of the following sets basic labor standards for employees working on any government contract that amounts to more than $10,000? A) Davis-Bacon Act B) Walsh-Healey Public Contract C) Fair Wages Act D) Fair Labor Standards Act

Q: Which of the following was enacted in 1931 for the purpose of setting wage rates for laborers and mechanics employed by contractors working for the federal government? A) Walsh-Healey Public Contract B) Fair Labor Standards Act C) Civil Rights Act D) Davis-Bacon Act

Q: The "Whiz Kids" applied statistical methods to management at ________. A) the Western Electric Company B) the Ford Motor Company C) IBM D) the Sony Corporation

Q: Which of the following factors has the LEAST effect on the design of an organization's pay plan? A) legal B) union C) company vision D) company policy

Q: Many techniques in the quantitative approach to management were borrowed from ________. A) computer models B) the physical sciences C) the military D) biological science

Q: The quantitative approach to management was largely used to improve ________. A) productivity B) efficiency C) decision making D) planning

Q: John is a sales representative in a jewelry store. He typically works 40 hours per week and his pay is completely based on his sales. He earns a 5% commission for every sale he makes. Which of the following terms best describes John's situation? A) performance-based compensation B) indirect financial compensation C) time-based compensation D) piecework pay

Q: Which of the following is NOT included as part of the quantitative approach to management? A) statistics B) optimization models C) organizational behavior D) computer simulations

Q: Which of the following terms refers to pay in the form of financial benefits, such as insurance? A) direct financial payments B) out-of-pocket expenses C) indirect financial payments D) sales commissions

Q: A problem with the theories of both Maslow and McGregor is that they ________. A) made no intuitive sense B) focused exclusively on fear as a motivating factor C) were never questioned by researchers D) were never supported by empirical research

Q: Which of the following is NOT a type of direct financial payment? A) wages B) insurance C) incentives D) commissions

Q: Which of the following terms refers to all forms of pay or rewards going to employees and arising from their employment? A) salary B) employee benefits C) wage reimbursement D) employee compensation

Q: Which person was best known for developing Theory X and Theory Y? A) Douglas McGregor B) Abraham Maslow C) Robert Owen D) Elton Mayo

Q: Which of the following is primarily the role of the manager in an employee's career development? A) providing career information B) seeking development opportunities C) providing academic assistance programs D) providing accurate performance feedback

Q: Maslow felt that once a need was satisfied, it ________. A) made people very happy B) motivated people strongly to maintain the need C) made people lazy D) stopped being a motivating factor for people

Q: Which person was best known for developing the hierarchy of needs theory? A) Elton Mayo B) Abraham Maslow C) Hugo Munsterberg D) Douglas McGregor

Q: All of the following are the role of the employer in an employee's career development EXCEPT ________. A) communicating policies and procedures B) analyzing interests, values, and skills C) providing performance feedback D) offering a variety of career paths

Q: In regards to an employee's career development, it is the primary responsibility of the ________ to make career plans, set goals, and utilize development opportunities. A) employer B) employee C) recruiter D) HR manager

Q: Which of the following is most closely associated with making the workplace more humane? A) the classical approaches B) the human relations movement C) the Hawthorne studies D) the general administrative theory

Q: Which of the following is NOT a topic that is addressed by organizational behavior research? A) motivation B) managing conflict C) demand forecasts D) establishing trust

Q: Dick's Sporting Goods is a sports and fitness retailer with over 300 stores in 34 states. After beginning as a small bait and tackle shop in 1948, Dick's has grown to become a leader in the sports and fitness retail industry. Many career opportunities are available in Dick's in areas as diverse as IT, product development, merchandising, and store management. Top management at Dick's realizes the importance of hiring and retaining quality employees. As a result, the firm has decided to implement policies, practices, and programs that support employees' career needs. All of the following questions are relevant to Dick's Sporting Goods' decision to implement a career development program EXCEPT ________. A) What is the average length of time that an employee works for Dick's Sporting Goods? B) How would the profits of Dick's Sporting Goods be affected by a change in hiring practices? C) What are the career needs and opportunities available to minorities and women employed by Dick's Sporting Goods? D) What will be the effect on recruiting and placement if employees' interests and attitudes are taken into consideration by the HR department at Dick's Sporting Goods?

Q: Dick's Sporting Goods is a sports and fitness retailer with over 300 stores in 34 states. After beginning as a small bait and tackle shop in 1948, Dick's has grown to become a leader in the sports and fitness retail industry. Many career opportunities are available in Dick's in areas as diverse as IT, product development, merchandising, and store management. Top management at Dick's realizes the importance of hiring and retaining quality employees. As a result, the firm has decided to implement policies, practices, and programs that support employees' career needs. Which of the following, if true, would best support the argument that Dick's should add a career development aspect to its human resource activities? A) Dick's Sporting Goods' current policies and practices categorize the firm as a high-performance work system. B) Dick's Sporting Goods' performance appraisals will include development plans and individual goal setting. C) Dick's Sporting Goods' sales volume and hourly employee needs typically fluctuate throughout the year. D) Dick's Sporting Goods' will screen potential candidates using structured situational interviews.

Q: A manager might turn to organizational behavior research when he or she has problems ________. A) controlling costs B) with budgets C) with scheduling D) building employee trust

Q: Organizational behavior (OB) uses ________ experiments to find out how and why people behave in certain ways. A) nontheoretical B) animal C) laboratory D) empirical

Q: Retaining employees is a ________ issue and the best retention strategies are therefore multifunctional. A) talent management B) career management C) strategic management D) human resources management

Q: Prior to the Hawthorne studies, managers paid little attention to the role of ________ in making decisions. A) productivity B) human behavior C) efficiency D) cost control

Q: Employers benefit from offering career development programs to employees in all of the following ways EXCEPT ________. A) supporting recruitment efforts B) boosting employee commitment C) enhancing employee strengths D) facilitating performance analysis

Q: A conclusion that engineers from the Hawthorne studies made was that people behave ________ when they are being observed. A) differently B) consistently C) naturally D) comfortably

Q: Jackie is working with a coach to identify her personal skills and interests. Afterwards, she will investigate opportunities that fit her skills and interests and set specific career goals. In which of the following activities is Jackie most likely participating? A) career management B) career development C) career planning D) job training

Q: From the Hawthorne studies' results, you might predict that the performance of a poor performing individual might ________ when he or she joins a high performing group. A) increase B) decrease C) not change D) become erratic

Q: Which of the following best describes career planning? A) a deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, and motivations and establishes action plans to attain specific career goals B) the lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person's career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment C) a process of helping employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests most effectively D) the process of educating, instructing, and training subordinates as they develop their career interests and job skills

Q: This was one of the conclusions of the Hawthorne studies engineers. A) Group pressure can affect individual productivity. B) Group pressure has no effect on individual productivity. C) Light levels can affect individual productivity. D) Noise levels can affect individual productivity.

Q: Which of the following is a specific example of a career development activity? A) job evaluation B) training workshop C) college recruitment D) performance appraisal

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person's career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment? A) performance management B) career development C) career management D) career planning

Q: The Hawthorne studies engineers found that brighter light levels in the factory ________ productivity. A) dramatically increased B) had no consistent effect on C) decreased D) slightly increased

Q: ________ is a process for enabling employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests most effectively within the company and afterwards. A) Career management B) Career development C) Career planning D) Performance management

Q: The organizers of the Hawthorne studies expected worker productivity to be proportional to ________ in the factory. A) light intensity levels B) pay rates C) temperature levels D) noise levels

Q: Tom, who has recently been assigned to coach a new employee, completed a self-evaluation of his coaching skills. Which of the following actions does NOT indicate that Tom is an effective coach? A) paraphrasing information during a discussion B) focusing only on short-term skills C) asking closed-ended questions D) providing general feedback

Q: A good model for Mary Parker Follett's view of a successful organization might be ________. A) a movie theater audience B) a state legislature C) a beehive D) a college classroom

Q: Mary Parker Follett felt that an organization functioned best when employees had a strong sense of this. A) individual independence B) group ethic C) autonomy D) self-confidence

Q: Dick's Sporting Goods is a sports and fitness retailer with over 300 stores in 34 states. After beginning as a small bait and tackle shop in 1948, Dick's has grown to become a leader in the sports and fitness retail industry. Many career opportunities are available in Dick's in areas as diverse as IT, product development, merchandising, and store management. Top management at Dick's realizes the importance of hiring and retaining quality employees. As a result, the firm has decided to implement policies, practices, and programs that support employees' career needs. Which of the following, if true, would best support the argument that Dick's should assign a coach to each new employee? A) The turnover rate of newly hired hourly employees at Dick's Sporting Goods is higher than the industry average. B) Many new employees at Dick's Sporting Goods have expressed interest in the firm's tuition reimbursement program. C) Dick's Sporting Goods has integrated preretirement counseling and succession planning into its career management practices. D) Dick's Sporting Goods uses talent management software to place new employees in the most appropriate positions.

Q: Hugo Munsterberg suggested that psychological tests could be helpful in ________ for an organization. A) finding customers B) selecting employees C) firing employees D) selecting advertisements

Q: You have been assigned to coach an employee who is struggling with work assignments. Which of the following steps should you most likely complete first? A) reach agreement with the employee on a plan B) ask the employee open-ended questions C) offer ideas and advice to the employee D) observe the employee on the job

Q: Mary Parker Follett's work was devoted to identifying differences in the way individuals behaved when they were ________. A) under stress B) discriminated against C) lacking in resources D) in groups

Q: ________ focuses on helping an employee make long-term career plans, while ________ addresses an employee's short-term job skills. A) Mentoring; coaching B) Coaching; mentoring C) Recruiting; coaching D) Appraising; training

Q: ________ felt that managers could learn how to motivate workers better by studying basic human behavior. A) Mary Parker Follett B) Hugo Munsterberg C) Robert Owen D) Douglas McGregor

Q: The process of advising, counseling, and guiding employees is known as ________. A) coaching B) appraising C) assessing D) mentoring

Q: Which of the following statements most likely suggests that an employee is engaged? A) "I work with intensity." B) "I take frequent breaks." C) "I daydream at my desk." D) "I enjoy talking to co-workers."

Q: Robert Owen, Mary Parker Follett, and Hugo Munsterberg wrote extensively about how important ________ to an organization's success. A) people are B) top-level managers are C) resources are D) financial backing is

Q: According to a TowersPerrin study, which of the following managerial actions would most likely foster employee engagement? A) offering improved benefits packages B) conducting regular performance appraisals C) linking employee efforts to company goals D) providing online training sessions to new hires

Q: What inspired Robert Owen to devote efforts into creating a safer workplace? A) possible profit from factories B) articles in the newspaper C) deplorable factory conditions D) greedy factory owners

Q: Robert Owen tried to develop ________ to improve the workplace conditions in factories. A) managerial scheduling methods B) what he termed the idealistic workplace C) general administrative theory D) industrial psychology

Q: Apex Carpet has a very high voluntary turnover rate, which executives at the firm want reduced. Which of the following should Apex most likely do first in its attempt to retain top-performing employees? A) administer attitude surveys to all employees B) provide an across-the-board wage increase C) evaluate the firm's promotion methods D) develop online training courses

Q: Apex Carpet has a very high voluntary turnover rate, which executives at the firm want reduced. What is the most effective way to retain top-performing employees at Apex? A) conducting more performance reviews B) developing new recruitment strategies C) establishing a talent management program D) revising the organization's mission statement

Q: Max Weber felt this was an ideal form of organization. A) a democracy B) a work group C) a bureaucracy D) a meritocracy

Q: What is one of the results of IBM's on-demand staffing strategy? A) increased resignations B) expanded market share C) increased telecommuting D) improved employee retention

Q: Fayol's principle of ________ refers to how to build harmony and unity in an organization. A) centralization B) equity C) order D) esprit de corps

Q: Fayol's principle of ________ refers to how extensively employees participate in decision making. A) discipline B) remuneration C) initiative D) authority

Q: According to research cited in the text, what is the primary reason that top-performing/high commitment employees gave for voluntarily leaving an organization? A) career development B) work-life balance C) promotions D) salary

Q: According to surveys, high levels of employee engagement are LEAST frequently associated with ________. A) fewer repeat customers B) higher performance levels C) lower turnover rates D) better corporate earnings

Q: Fayol's principle of ________ refers to how extensively employees participate in decision making in an organization. A) division of labor B) centralization C) order D) equity

Q: What is the first step in retaining employees? A) providing employees with proper training B) discussing career plans with workers C) selecting the right workers D) identifying worker goals

Q: Fayol's principle of ________ states that employees in an organization should be fairly compensated for their labor. A) remuneration B) discipline C) authority D) unity of command

Q: Which of the following would most likely reduce voluntary turnover? A) performance appraisal systems B) high unemployment rates C) numerous job opportunities D) downsizing requirements