Question 1

One goal of empowerment is:

Accepted Answer

A)  to decrease employee dependence on superiors.
B)  to let managers create distance from the employees.
C)  to encourage employees to take more responsibility for their own work.
D)  to emphasize external control in the function of the company.
E)  a and c E

Question 2

The relationship of the individual challenges HRM faces to the organizational challenges HRM faces:

Accepted Answer

A)  is one of little, if any, importance.
B)  is one of reciprocity. Each affects the other.
C)  is relevant in only a few challenges.
D)  is similar to the relationship of labor relations to the use of technology.
E)  poses a significant ethical dilemma to HR managers. B

Question 3

Since companies can now monitor their employees' use of the Internet and e-mail, which of the following is a legislative concern?

Accepted Answer

A)  The decrease in employee productivity.
B)  Privacy issues regarding individuals.
C)  The "fuzzy line" between what could be seen as obscene to some people but harmless slang to others.
D)  The use of this information to plan surprise birthday parties for employees.
E)  The potential for the information to be used to compile mailing lists for different corporations. B

Question 4

Out of the number of small businesses that start every year, only will survive a decade.

Accepted Answer

A)  5%
B)  10%
C)  15%
D)  20%
E)  25%

Question 5

New businesses start every year. These start-ups are risky ventures, as nearly fail in their first year of operation.

Accepted Answer

A)  10%
B)  25%
C)  35%
D)  40%
E)  50%

Question 6

A company's organization culture does NOT manifest in:

Accepted Answer

A)  the relationships among the employees.
B)  worker safety.
C)  the employees' uniforms, or lack thereof.
D)  organizational challenges.
E)  pay for performance.

Question 7

Creating and implementing ethics codes has generally:

Accepted Answer

A)  significantly decreased the number of ethical issues being raised in companies.
B)  made decision making for managers much more clear cut.
C)  increased employee satisfaction with management.
D)  caused an actual increase in ethical violations within companies.
E)  caused employees to see their managers as acting in ways inconsistent with these ethical codes.

Question 8

A critical ethical issue for HR managers related to technology use in work environments is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the increase in authoritarian management due to organizational restructuring.
B)  the improper use of proprietary data.
C)  self-managed work teams misusing technology to their own personal ends.
D)  overly close supervision of technology users.
E)  "window sitting."

Question 9

Many profitable American companies eliminate jobs ever year. This trend can be attributed to which of the following factors?

Accepted Answer

A)  The need for fewer service and production workers in a more technological society.
B)  The increasing dissatisfaction of firms with long-term employees.
C)  Increasing competition in industry.
D)  Companies' need for more diverse work communities.
E)  Increasing union membership.

Question 10

The increased use of technology for telecommuting raises a number of issues for human resources, such as:

Accepted Answer

A)  privacy rights regarding the data used by telecommuters.
B)  more layers of management to watch/monitor telecommuters.
C)  monitoring performance and overtime pay.
D)  outsourcing work rather than using fulltime employees.
E)  labor costs, as telecommuting is quite expensive.

Question 11

Outsourcing presents a number of challenges to Human Resources in that:

Accepted Answer

A)  it raises labor costs while lowering production costs.
B)  a firm is still accountable for the actions of its subcontractors, but it exercises less control over them.
C)  employees require close monitoring by HRM, as subcontractors tend to take on less work than they can handle, meaning more subcontractors doing less work.
D)  it increases customer use of service centers because customers tend to be more satisfied with subcontractors than with regular employee service representatives.
E)  all of the above

Question 12

A study of small high-technology firms shows that they should hire people who are:

Accepted Answer

A)  very well organized and structured.
B)  experienced in administration and organization since the company will probably lack these skills.
C)  able to handle high uncertainty and rapid change in exchange for the satisfaction of possible future payoffs.
D)  experienced in working with large corporations, preparing the company for its transition to be a major player in its market.
E)  technically competent and should disregard personality issues.

Question 13

The impact of technology on organizational structure can be seen in the:

Accepted Answer

A)  return of pyramidal structure due to the ease of transferring information between levels.
B)  increase in authoritarian management in order to control access to technology and information.
C)  changing nature of labor relations.
D)  decrease in employees working at home.
E)  ability of top management to bypass middle managers and deal directly with firstline managers.

Question 14

An organization's culture consists of a number of separate elements, such as:

Accepted Answer

A)  technology use.
B)  ethical dilemmas.
C)  labor unions.
D)  employee work habits.
E)  the working environment climate or feel.

Question 15

Rudy is writing a report about the individual challenges his firm is facing. Which of the following would Rudy NOT include in his report?

Accepted Answer

A)  use of an employee's credit history in determining her competency.
B)  whether to increase fit between employees and their jobs.
C)  whether to discipline an employee for excessive use of the Internet.
D)  whether to outsource a specific job to a firm with more employees.
E)  how to determine individuals' performance in their respective jobs.

Question 16

Organizational culture:

Accepted Answer

A)  is often shaped by HRM practices.
B)  can be defined in terms of the right or wrong culture.
C)  is made up of a number of elements such as norms, behaviors, values, etc.
D)  refers to basic assumptions and beliefsshared by members of an organization.
E)  isthe non-pervasive climate or atmosphere within which people work.

Question 17

The matching of people to the organization, not just to a job, is:

Accepted Answer

A)  important, but not the critical task it was once thought to be since studies show that personality has little to do with success.
B)  creating ethical dilemmasfor corporations in today's legal environment.
C)  a significant part of an organization's social responsibility.
D)  getting easier through the use of technology.
E)  increasingly important as studies show executive personalities as well as their competencies can affect company performance.

Exam 2: Human Resource Management: Challenges and Strategies