Homework answers / question archive / Chapter 7   Managing Diverse Human Resources 1) Although managers are likely to create employee performance appraisal forms and processes, it is the HR department that actually assesses employee performance

Chapter 7   Managing Diverse Human Resources 1) Although managers are likely to create employee performance appraisal forms and processes, it is the HR department that actually assesses employee performance

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Chapter 7   Managing Diverse Human Resources

1) Although managers are likely to create employee performance appraisal forms and processes, it is the HR department that actually assesses employee performance.

 

 

 

 

 

2) The capabilities that employees possess can form the basis of competitive advantage.

 

 

 

3) If a company decides to outsource specific workforce demands, the financial risks to that company will increase if those demands fluctuate.

 

 

 

4) A job specification describes the skills, experience, and education that a candidate should have to perform the job.

 

 

 

5) Employment agencies tend to be expensive, so they are usually not cost-effective for low-level and low-paying jobs.

 

 

 

 

6) Structured interviews tend to have lower levels of validity than unstructured interviews.

 

 

7) Personality tests are good overall predictors of job performance.

 

 

 

8) When mentoring, a guide or knowledgeable person higher up in the organization helps a new employee "learn the ropes" of the organization and provides other advice.

 

 

 

9) Job analysis focuses on a job's components, while job design is the process of determining which components ought to be put together and how they should be arranged to enhance performance.

 

 

 

10) Job sharing involves two people working part-time in the same job.

 

 

11) In graphic rating scales, the characteristics being evaluated are clearly defined and are not left to individual interpretation.

 

 

 

 

12) Graphic rating scales allow managers to quantify results quickly and compare the performance ratings of employees.

 

 

13) Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) are a performance appraisal system in which information about an employee is gathered from supervisors, co-workers, subordinates, and sometimes suppliers and customers.

 

 

 

14) Instead of using hierarchical and segmented salary systems, many companies are now moving to broadband systems, where the range of pay is large and covers a wide variety of jobs.

 

 

 

15) At-risk compensation is also referred to as fixed compensation.

 

 

 

16) In "cafeteria-style" benefit plans, employees have a set number of "benefit dollars" that they can use to purchase specific benefits that fit their particular needs.

 

 

 

17) Placing an employee in several functional areas over the course of his or her career is called cross-functional job rotation.

 

 

18) U.S. firms must abide by the same nondiscrimination laws relative to their U.S. personnel overseas as their U.S. employees residing in the U.S.

 

 

19) Quid pro quo sexual harassment involves requests or implied suggestions that sexual relations are required in exchange for continued employment or benefits.

 

 

 

20) An organization cannot use criteria that might be regarded as discriminatory, even if the criterion in question is a bona fide occupational qualification.

 

 

 

21) The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires that employees of all races performing equal jobs receive equal pay.

 

 

 

22) Which of the following pieces of information would most indicate that a company's assets are mainly intangible?

A) The company operates on a global basis.

B) Plant and equipment contribute most to the company's output.

C) The company is primarily service and information oriented.

D) The company has a diverse workforce.

 

 

 

23) In which of the following cases is a firm most likely to have intangible critical assets?

A) JEG Inc. manufactures automobile parts for a number of car manufacturers and the major portion of its investment is in machinery and equipment.

B) N&S Corp. is a transport and shipping company with a presence throughout the U.S. and its fleet of trucks contributes significantly to its output.

C) Orangetree Inc. has a number of hotels across the country. The company's success depends on increasing customer satisfaction by perfecting employees' customer service techniques.

D) BLT is a fast food chain on the East Coast. The company recently automated most of its processes in order to increase customer convenience.

 

 

24) A(n) ________ is a statement that describes the skills, experience, and education that a candidate should have to perform the job.

A) job rotation

B) job analysis

C) job specification

D) job assessment

 

 

 

25) A ________ is a list of duties and capabilities required for a particular job.

A) job assessment

B) job evaluation        

C) job rotation

D) job description

 

 

 

 

26) Which of the following is a method of generating job candidates?

A) job sharing

B) job posting

C) job rotation

D) job analysis

 

 

27) ________ is an internal recruiting method in which a job, its pay, level, description, and qualifications are announced to all current employees.

A) Job rotation

B) Job sharing

C) Job posting

D) Job design

 

 

 

28) Which of the following would be the most helpful to employees who want to chart potential career paths within their company?

A) job postings

B) employee referrals

C) employment agencies

D) school placement centers

 

 

 

 

29) Auto parts manufacturer JEG Inc. has a number of vacancies at lower management levels and wants to fill the positions from within the company itself rather than recruit externally. The company plans to e-mail the job specifications to all employees and post the jobs on the company Web site. Which of the following is a disadvantage of job posting?

A) All employees do not have equal opportunities to apply for a job.

B) Unqualified applicants will need explanations about why they did not get the job.

C) Job postings prevent some qualified employees from having the opportunity to apply for a particular job.

D) Unqualified employees can find out the qualifications they need to get a particular job.

 

 

30) Auto parts manufacturer JEG Inc. has a number of vacancies at lower management levels and wants to fill the positions from within the company itself rather than recruit externally. The company plans to e-mail the job specifications to all employees and post the jobs on the company Web site. Which of the following, if true, will strengthen the company's decision?

A) The majority of JEG employees have only a basic level of education.

B) JEG recently instituted a technical skills improvement program for shop floor employees.

C) JEG favors a paternalistic managerial style and its organization culture tends to be rigid and controlling.

D) It has been brought to the management's notice that several top performing entry level employees have received offers from rival companies.

 

 

 

31) Auto parts manufacturer JEG Inc. has a number of vacancies at lower management levels and wants to fill the positions from within the company itself rather than recruit externally. The company plans to e-mail the job specifications to all employees and post the jobs on the company Web site. Which of the following, if true, will weaken the company's decision?

A) The majority of JEG employees have only a basic level of education.

B) JEG recently instituted a technical skills improvement program for shop floor employees.

C) JEG favors a paternalistic managerial style and its organization culture tends to be controlling.

D) JEG is looking for employees with innate ability and not necessarily formal skills.

 

 

32) Which of the following is a method of generating job candidates from outside an organization?

A) job posting

B) direct marketing

C) onboarding

D) advertising

 

 

33) JEG is opening a new manufacturing plant and has approached an employment agency to begin the recruitment process for shop floor workers. The HR manager objects to this, saying that the company should conduct its own recruitment. Which of the following is a disadvantage of using an employment agency to generate job candidates?

A) They generate responses from unqualified applicants who need to receive explanations about why they did not get the job.

B) Executive search firms are more efficient at generating candidates for lower-level jobs.

C) The services of employment agencies are not cost-effective for low-level and low-paying jobs.

D) They are less effective when the firm is looking for a different type of employee than it currently has.

 

 

 

 

34) Employee referrals are least effective as a recruiting strategy when ________.

A) employees are friends with the potential applicants

B) the firm seeks candidates who are significantly different from current employees

C) employees are not as well compensated as the new recruits will be

D) the firm seeks candidates who can perform the same functions as current employees

 

 

 

35) N&S Corp. is opening a new branch in a nearby city and the HR team is debating the various methods of generating job candidates. Which of the following will weaken the case for using employee referrals?

A) Current employees understand the organization, its culture, and the particular job that needs to be filled.

B) The new office is tapping a new market and deals with a completely new set of clients.

C) The new office will spearhead N&S's venture into a new industry and will operate very differently from the present systems.

D) Most employees in the present office have the skills required to perform well in the new branch.

 

 

36) N&S Corp. is opening a new branch in a nearby city and the HR team is debating the various methods of generating job candidates. The team feels that using employee referrals may generate unqualified or substandard candidates because employees will be biased in favor of their recommendations. Which of the following facts offers the strongest counterargument for this?

A) Employees usually know the work history, educational background, skills and abilities, personal characteristics of the applicants.

B) Their personal relationships with the recommended candidates allow employees to convince the company about the these candidates.

C) Employees tend to recommend individuals who they believe will do well because referrals put employees' own reputations on the line.

D) Their personal relationship with the recommended candidate allows employees to convince the individual about the benefits of working for the company.

 

 

37) Which of the following is the best definition of a valid selection technique?

A) It is a technique that does not discriminate between candidates on the basis of race, religion, or gender.

B) It is a technique that has been approved by the Labor Department.

C) It is a screening process that differentiates those who would be successful in a job from those who would not.

D) It is a technique that is designed to eliminate employer bias in selecting candidates.

 

 

 

38) Shelley arrived at 10:00 a.m. for her interview with a manager at Orangetree. This being her first round of interview with the company, the manager asked her a set of questions interviewers ask all prospective candidates they meet for the first time. What sort of interview is Shelley attending?

A) structured

B) unstructured

C) sampling

D) simulation

 

 

39) Which of the following is more likely to occur in an unstructured interview than in a structured interview?

A) asking all candidates the same set of questions

B) carefully recording interviewees' responses on a standardized form

C) asking each candidate to answer different questions

D) taking approximately the same time to interview each candidate

 

 

 

 

40) In which of the following cases will unstructured interviews be the most useful selection technique?

A) JEG needs an operator for the specialized machinery used on the shop floor and must decide from among ten candidates for the job.

B) N&S Ltd is in the process of recruiting a top-level manager and needs a person who can interact well with others.

C) Orangetree is holding walk-in interviews for a desk job and needs to eliminate half of the 200 applicants in the first interview round.

D) Papercraft Ltd is looking for a Web site designer and needs test applicants to demonstrate their proficiency with designing software.

 

 

 

41) Which of the following is true for interviews?

A) In unstructured interviews, interviewers ask all candidates the same set of questions.

B) The validity of unstructured interviews is lower than that for structured interviews.

C) Structured interviews involve asking each candidate to answer different questions based on their individual qualifications.

D) Recording interview responses on a standardized form decreases the validity of the interview.

 

 

 

42) Which of the following selection techniques is likely to offer the highest validity?

A) ABC 24/7, a news channel, is looking for an anchor to host a talk show on current affairs. Each candidate is asked a variety of questions depending on their personal work experience and areas of strength.

B) N&S is conducting campus interviews that attract a large number of applicants. To eliminate those who do not have the necessary skills, N&S makes applicants fill out a preliminary questionnaire. Based on the results, N&S then decides who qualifies to the next round.

C) Orangetree finds it more important that new employees fit in with the company culture and other employees. Thus, interviews are generally conducted individually by a number of top managers, who assess candidates' fit with the company.

D) Papercraft is a family firm and the CEO has the final say in all employee hires. Employees are often hired on the basis of a brief interview with the CEO, rather than the company's formal interview process.

 

 

43) Which of the following is true regarding work sampling?

A) Work sampling is expensive and difficult to administer.

B) Work sampling tests only general aptitude and not specific skills.

C) A person who performs well in the work sample will not perform well on the job.

D) Work sampling is not an accurate predictor of how a candidate will do on the job.

 

 

 

44) Candidates for university teaching positions are routinely required to teach a 50-minute class in their discipline while selection committee members observe both the candidate's work and students' responses. What is this selection technique called?

A) assessment center

B) physical examination

C) unstructured interview

D) work simulation

 

 

 

45) Which of the following selection techniques is the least useful predictor of how a candidate will do in a particular job?

A) written tests

B) work simulation

C) work sampling

D) assessment centers

 

 

46) Which of the following is true for assessment centers?

A) They avoid using work sampling and simulation techniques.

B) They are time- and resource-intensive selection tools.

C) They focus on conducting personality tests of job candidates to find out if they work well with teammates.

D) They are a cost-effective selection method for employees moving up within a firm.

 

 

 

47) In which of the following cases will written tests be the most useful selection technique?

A) JEG needs an operator for the specialized machinery used on the shop floor and must decide from among ten candidates for the job.

B) N&S Corp. is conducting internal recruitment for a trainer for employees and needs a person who can interact well with others.

C) Orangetree is holding walk-in interviews and needs to eliminate at least half of the 200 candidates depending on their aptitude.

D) Papercraft Inc. is looking for artists who can design and produce specialized gift items and has placed ads on several job portals.

 

 

 

48) Which of the following statements is true about using physical testing as a selection method?

A) Physical exams cannot be used as a method to reduce insurance claims.

B) Drug testing is not permissible unless the firm can demonstrate that it is a bona fide occupational qualification.

C) Physical tests cannot be used unless the requirements being screened relate to job performance.

D) Physical tests can only test current illnesses or capacity; they cannot be used to test for potential problems.

 

 

 

49) When a job has high physical demands, companies require physical examinations as part of the screening process. Information gathered from the examinations can be used in all of the following ways EXCEPT ________.

A) helping to reduce insurance claims

B) selecting physically qualified applicants

C) checking for issues unrelated to job performance

D) protecting against lawsuits by identifying high-risk applicants

 

 

 

50) ________ provide new employees a broad overview of the industry, the company and its business activities; its key competitors; and general information about working for the company.

A) Orientation programs

B) On-the-job training

C) Problem-solving conferences

D) Staff development meetings

 

 

 

51) Which of the following strategies should managers avoid when designing orientation programs?

A) reducing paperwork to minimize information overload

B) alternating heavy information with lighter presentations

C) scheduling informal meetings between new hires and immediate supervisors

D) matching each new employee with a "buddy" based on job similarity rather than personality compatibility

 

 

 

52) ________ orientation sessions are generally designed to help the new employee get up to speed on the new job, co-workers, policies, procedures, and expectations.

A) Career path

B) Job rotation

C) Work-unit

D) Critical incident

 

 

 

53) Which of the following is an off-the-job training method?

A) correspondence courses

B) mentoring

C) job rotation

D) apprenticeship

 

 

 

 

54) ________ skill development programs address skills such as effective listening, conflict resolution, negotiation, and coaching.

A) Technical

B) Conceptual

C) Interpersonal

D) Motor

 

 

55) Alison is a newly promoted manager at N&S. Though she has the requisite qualifications in terms of experience and process knowledge, her team told her supervisors that Alison's management style is abrasive and authoritarian. Which of the following sets of skills does Alison need to improve?

A) technical skills

B) conceptual skills

C) interpersonal skills

D) motor skills

 

 

 

 

56) A(n) ________ is an on-the-job training technique.

A) correspondence course

B) cross training program

C) online learning

D) critical incident

 

 

 

 

57) ________ skill development programs include a variety of skills and abilities, such as problem solving, decision making, planning, and organizing.

A) Technical

B) Conceptual

C) Interpersonal

D) Motor

 

 

58) The practice of moving individuals to various types of jobs within the organization at the same level or next-immediate-higher level for periods of time from an hour or two to as long as a year is known as ________.

A) apprenticeship

B) mentoring

C) job rotation

D) job sharing

 

 

59) Orangetree has hired new employees following a campus recruitment drive. Tim and Sandy, the new employees, have the skills to do the job but lack experience in the work environment. Orangetree assigns two older employees in the same department to help Tim and Sandy get accustomed to the functioning of the organization. This is known as ________.

A) apprenticeship

B) mentoring

C) job rotation

D) job sharing

 

 

 

60)  ________ is a form of training in which a person works alongside someone who is skilled in a particular craft and is taught by that person.

A) Apprenticeship

B) Work simulation

C) Micro-schooling

D) Job sharing

 

 

61) Which of the following methods gives the clearest assessment of the effectiveness of a training program?

A) pre-training and post-training assessment

B) using the "smile" index to gauge effectiveness

C) administering a post-training questionnaire

D) testing employees on skills covered in the training

 

 

 

62) ________ focuses on the structuring or restructuring of key components of a job.

A) Job design

B) Job analysis

C) Job posting

D) Job rotation

 

 

63) ________ involves rethinking and radically redesigning business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in performance, such as cost, quality, service, or speed.

A) Restructuring

B) Reengineering

C) Cross-training

D) Job rotation

 

 

 

64) Orangetree tries to help employees maintain a work-life balance by providing flexible job arrangements. For instance, Alison works only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while Joan fills the same role on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Both find the arrangement convenient, while the company gets the advantage of two workers for little more than the price of one. This arrangement is known as ________.

A) job swapping

B) job exchange

C) job rotation

D) job sharing

 

 

 

65) Papercraft Inc. is considering introducing a job sharing program for some departments in the company. Which of the following, if true, would weaken Papercraft's decision?

A) An employee survey revealed that most employees would prefer to have more flexible work timings.

B) The nature of the work involves very little feedback.

C) On account of the nature of the projects, most projects are undertaken single-handedly.

D) The company's workforce is mainly composed of young, independent, single male employees.

 

 

66) JEG recently evaluated its manufacturing processes and discovered that the monotonous nature of jobs was contributing to employee dissatisfaction. As manufacturing worked on an assembly-line system, each employee had to repetitively add just a single part to the product. JEG decided to form the employees into teams and have each team assemble a complete product together. This effort by JEG to make the work more interesting for its employees is known as ________.

A) reengineering

B) job sharing

C) job rotation

D) cross-training

 

 

67) ________ lists a set of qualities upon which to evaluate employees, and their level of performance on each of these items is then rated in terms of a scale typically ranging from 1 to 5.

A) The Likert scale

B) The Guttman scale

C) A Borg scale

D) A graphic rating scale

 

 

 

68) Which of the following is true of graphic rating scales?

A) Graphic rating scales are time-consuming and difficult to complete.

B) There is no clear definition for the qualities measured by graphic rating scales.

C) The results obtained from graphic rating are difficult to quantify.

D) Graphic rating scales cannot be used to compare performance ratings between employees.

 

 

69) Which of the following is true for behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)?

A) BARS are very similar in methodology to 360-degree feedback.

B) BARS and graphic rating scales have nothing in common.

C) BARS rate employee characteristics using a quantitative scale.

D) BARS rank employees in terms of abstract qualities rather than specific behaviors.

 

 

 

70) Which of the following is true for 360-degree feedback?

A) The results are easily quantifiable and comparable across the company.

B) This technique completely eliminates the potential for bias in evaluations.

C) It is quick and easy to collect and quantify the data relevant to this feedback.

D) It attempts to measure a person's performance from multiple perspectives.

 

 

 

 

71) A ________ is a specific instance in which the employee's behavior and performance were above or below expectations.

A) basis point

B) chronic incident

C) critical incident

D) pivot point

 

 

 

72) ________ compensation is pay that varies depending on specified conditions such as the general profitability of the company, revenue, or individual performance targets.

A) At-risk

B) Broadband

C) Cafeteria plan

D) Deferred

 

 

73) A(n) ________ is a system that ties some compensation to employee performance.

A) broadband plan

B) cafeteria plan

C) incentive plan

D) open compensation

 

 

 

74) At JEG, a certain percentage of each employee's salary remains fixed, while the rest varies according to employee performance. This is an example of ________.

A) a cafeteria-style plan

B) a benefit plan

C) an incentive plan

D) a broadband plan

 

 

 

75) Immediately upon being promoted to store manager in a bookstore, Rachel receives details of her new compensation package: her salary is tied to store profit, and she must customize her benefit plan. This manager's pay structure is a form of ________, and her benefit plan is ________.

A) at-risk compensation; traditional

B) at-risk compensation; cafeteria-style

C) variable compensation; traditional

D) piece-rate compensation; cafeteria-style

 

 

 

76) JEG requires any mid-level manager who wants to move into top management to spend three years in each of the firm's operational areas. This requirement is an example of ________.

A) at-risk compensation

B) 360 degree feedback

C) cross-functional job rotation

D) job sharing

 

 

77) ________ involve(s) the termination of groups of employees because of economic or business reasons.

A) Layoffs

B) Furloughs

C) Outsourcing

D) Voluntary redundancy

 

 

 

 

78) ________ usually involve(s) the termination of an employee for criminal behavior, such as theft of company property, or for violating the company's policies, such as sharing confidential information with its competitors.

A) Layoffs

B) Furloughs

C) Firing for cause

D) Voluntary redundancy

 

 

 

79) Janet has been a manager at N&S for the past six years. Following the retirement of her superior, Janet expected to be promoted in his place. However, a male colleague with similar qualifications and less experience was promoted instead. Janet notices that most top-level managers in N&S are male, even though a substantial percentage of the employees are female. Which of the following terms explains this scenario?

A) the golden handshake

B) the golden handcuffs

C) the glass ceiling

D) the glass cliff

 

 

80) A hiring and training program intended to correct past inequalities for certain categories of people based on gender, race and ethnicity, age, or religion is known as a(n) ________.

A) redistributive justice system

B) affirmative action program

C) meritocracy

D) retributive justice system

 

 

 

 

81) ________ may use selection criteria regarded as discriminatory, but do not constitute employment discrimination because they have a direct and material impact on job performance and outcomes.

A) Graphic rating scales

B) Bona fide occupational qualifications

C) Behaviorally anchored ratings scales

D) Cross-functional job rotations

 

 

 

82) Which of the following is true for a bona fide occupational qualification?

A) It is based on performance and has an indirect impact on job performance.

B) It may use selection criteria regarded as discriminatory.

C) It is a prerequisite for inclusion in affirmative action programs.

D) It has no material impact on job outcomes.

 

 

 

83) Despite laws against discrimination, Disney can legally refuse to hire men with beards because the company demonstrated statistically that being clean-shaven is a ________ at Disney theme parks.

A) technical job skill

B) valid selection technique

C) bona fide occupational qualification

D) cross-functional job requirement

 

 

84) Which of the following is true for the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871?

A) They prohibit discrimination in employment against individuals aged 40 or older.

B) They grant all citizens the right to make, perform, modify, and terminate contracts and enjoy all benefits, terms, and conditions of the contractual relationship.

C) They provide equal protection for all citizens and require due process in state action.

D) They require affirmative action in the employment of individuals with disabilities.

 

 

 

85) Which of the following is true for the Fourteenth Amendment?

A) It prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals aged 40 or older.

B) It grants all citizens the right to make, perform, modify, and terminate contracts and enjoy all benefits, terms, and conditions of the contractual relationship

C) It provides equal protection for all citizens and requires due process in state action.

D) It requires affirmative action in the employment of individuals with disabilities.

 

 

86) BEL Services is a long-time federal contractor. It was recently noticed that the company has not been implementing affirmative action policies for people with disabilities. Which of the following is BEL violating?

A) Fourteenth Amendment

B) Equal Pay Act of 1963

C) Executive Order 11246

D) Rehabilitation Act of 1973

 

 

 

87) The ________ requires affirmative action in hiring women and minorities.

A) Fourteenth Amendment

B) Equal Pay Act of 1963

C) Executive Order 11246

D) Rehabilitation Act of 1973

 

 

88) Name and briefly explain the various methods of recruiting candidates for a job opening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

89) What does "valid selection technique" mean in the context of job selection?

 

 

90) Compare structured and unstructured interviews and explain which type generates more valid results.

 

 

 

91) List the various methods of selecting applicants for a job.

 

92) Explain how orientation programs train employees in technical, interpersonal, and conceptual skills.

 

 

93) What is job sharing?

 

 

94) What are graphic rating scales? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

 

 

 

 

95) Explain 360-degree feedback.

 

 

96) What is a cafeteria-style benefit plan?

 

97) What constraints are affecting Mr. McCoy's planning activities?

 

98) How might hiring a part-time teacher for this position be advantageous?

 

 

99) In this scenario, is the interview alone a valid selection technique?

 

 

100) How might a work sample validate the selection process in this scenario?

 

 

101) Given the circumstances in this scenario, on what type of skills might a training program focus?

 

 

102) Explain "job design" in this scenario.

 

 

103) Why might a school principal rely on "critical incidents" to provide feedback to teachers during appraisals?