Question 1

A profit-sharing plan means that employees receive a bonus when they reduce costs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Categories of contingent workers include independent contractors, but not on-call workers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

After several years of sound but unimpressive performance, Foothill Federal was bought out by Cashcorp, a much larger financial organization. Hoping to turn the new network into a stronger asset to the corporation, Cashcorp's managers begin by examining Foothill's existing performance appraisal process. Cashcorp managers quickly determine that employee evaluations have been handled very superficially in the past, typically by division managers at the central location. As a result, seniority, rather than productivity, has been the primary rationale for promotions and rewards. The HR manager assigned to integrating Foothill into the Cashcorp family immediately sees that changes will need to be made in the performance appraisal process. However, he does not want to move too rashly, as the merger has already made the Foothill workforce worried that extensive terminations and layoffs are imminent. Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support changing who is responsible for performance appraisals at Foothill?

Accepted Answer

A)  The supervisors carrying out appraisals were all assigned to Foothill's central location, even though most of the employees they evaluated were at branches. 
B)  The web-based performance appraisal software already used by Cashcorp allows employees to do self-evaluations. 
C)  Cashcorp has a more detailed and clearer set of corporate objectives than Foothill used in appraisals. 
D)  Industry-wide research shows that peer appraisal has a more direct impact on employees than supervisor appraisal. 
E)  A regional news report claimed that Cashcorp was prepared to trim the Foothill workforce by up to 30 percent.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about mediation is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  The mediator's decision is legally binding. 
B)  The mediator has the task of preventing outsiders from making the conflict worse. 
C)  The mediator is appointed by management. 
D)  The mediator is a neutral third party whose task is to suggest a compromise that will get the negotiations moving ahead. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 5

Elsie, a pilot, is using a simulator to learn how to fly a new jet without ever leaving the ground. In order to learn this new skill set, Elsie is using

Accepted Answer

A)  job expansion. 
B)  job shadowing. 
C)  vestibule training. 
D)  job rotation. 
E)  on-the-job training.

Question 6

Dexterity Business School provides short-term training workshops to a variety of corporations, out of a chain of small centres across the country. The instructors leading the workshops are hired on a contingent basis, and paid a set lump sum for each program. A supervisor at each location is responsible for recruiting instructors and providing them with Dexterity's prepared teaching materials. At the Canal City location, Andy Ashe has been leading these workshops for several years, and has been asked back several times by local businesses who find his workshops especially popular because of his verbal skills and keen sense of humor. The supervisor, Charlotte Monahan, has found that while her location contracts with several other instructors, businesses often ask for Ashe by name, even agreeing to postpone their contracted sessions until he is available. Dexterity's policies state that all contingent instructors are paid the same rate per workshop. Nevertheless, Ashe is aware of his popularity, and requests that Monahan start giving him a higher rate for his workshops. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen Ashe's case?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ashe has led more different training workshops than any other contingent worker. 
B)  Losing Ashe as an employee would mean that companies who prefer his workshops would consider no longer contracting with Dexterity. 
C)  Ashe has worked for Dexterity for fifteen years, longer than any other contract employee. 
D)  A local teacher in the high school, Ashe has repeatedly received awards for his classroom performance. 
E)  The businesses that contract with Dexterity consider the workshops essential to their operation.

Question 7

The Constitution Act

Accepted Answer

A)  prohibits unfair labour practices on the part of management. 
B)  recognized the right of employees to bargain collectively. 
C)  provides for compulsory investigation. 
D)  is a comprehensive piece of legislation that applies to the labour practices of firms operating under the legislative authority of parliament. 
E)  divides authority concerning labour regulations between the provinces and the federal government.

Question 8

Forecasting demand may result in plans to hire additional employees or plans to reduce the size of the workforce.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Evaluating each potential candidate for an existing job opening and deciding on whom to extend a job offer to is called

Accepted Answer

A)  recruiting. 
B)  screening. 
C)  interviewing. 
D)  decision making. 
E)  selecting.

Question 10

When migrant workers in Manitoba voted to no longer be represented by their union, this was an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  decertification. 
B)  emancipation. 
C)  arbitration. 
D)  mediation. 
E)  a referendum.

Question 11

Suppose that in labour negotiations with management, the Amalgamated Ditch Diggers proposed wage increases be tied to the consumer price index. This is called a(n) ________ clause.

Accepted Answer

A)  adjustable wage index 
B)  cost-of-living adjustment 
C)  variable wage 
D)  recognition item 
E)  CPI-wage adjustment

Question 12

What is the source of power for labour unions?

Accepted Answer

A)  A shortage of workers 
B)  Collective bargaining 
C)  Parliament 
D)  Public opinion 
E)  All of these

Question 13

John is reading a document which describes the conditions under which his job will be done, the ways in which it relates to other positions, and the duties he needs to perform. John is probably looking at

Accepted Answer

A)  a job specification. 
B)  a job description. 
C)  job relatedness. 
D)  person-job matching. 
E)  a job analysis.

Question 14

John has been gathering information from a variety of sources, including a manager's subordinates, in order to assess their performance. He is conducting

Accepted Answer

A)  a traditional performance review. 
B)  positive reinforcement. 
C)  an internal appraisal. 
D)  360-degree feedback. 
E)  tailoring.

Question 15

Which of the following is correct with respect to behaviour-based interviewing?

Accepted Answer

A)  It assesses how well an applicant is likely to get along with other workers if the applicant is hired. 
B)  A question like "Do you often take the initiative?" is a good example of the kind of question that would be asked in a behaviour-based interview. 
C)  It focuses on finding out how an applicant has reacted to important or difficult job situations in the past and assumes that these are a good indicator of how the person will react in the future. 
D)  The interviewer asks the applicant a highly structured series of questions. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 16

The term "bona fide occupational requirement" means that an employer can choose one worker over another based on overriding characteristics of the job.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

After negotiations failed, Acme Baskets, Inc. may choose to use a(n) ________ to prevent union employees from coming to work.

Accepted Answer

A)  economic strike 
B)  strikebreaker 
C)  stop work order 
D)  boycott 
E)  lockout

Question 18

________ distribute bonuses to all employees in a company based upon reduced costs from working more efficiently.

Accepted Answer

A)  Profit-sharing plans 
B)  Gainsharing plans 
C)  Merit salary systems 
D)  Bona fide occupational requirement plans 
E)  Assessment centre plans

Question 19

Which selection technique is most likely to introduce bias?

Accepted Answer

A)  Interview 
B)  Application forms 
C)  Aptitude tests 
D)  Drug testing 
E)  Polygraph tests

Question 20

The process of determining the predictive value of information is called forecasting.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 8: Managing Human Resources and Labour Relations

A profit-sharing plan means that employees receive a bonus when they reduce costs.

Categories of contingent workers include independent contractors, but not on-call workers.

Which of the following statements about mediation is correct?

Elsie, a pilot, is using a simulator to learn how to fly a new jet without ever leaving the ground. In order to learn this new skill set, Elsie is using

The Constitution Act

Forecasting demand may result in plans to hire additional employees or plans to reduce the size of the workforce.

Evaluating each potential candidate for an existing job opening and deciding on whom to extend a job offer to is called

When migrant workers in Manitoba voted to no longer be represented by their union, this was an example of

Suppose that in labour negotiations with management, the Amalgamated Ditch Diggers proposed wage increases be tied to the consumer price index. This is called a(n) ________ clause.

What is the source of power for labour unions?

John is reading a document which describes the conditions under which his job will be done, the ways in which it relates to other positions, and the duties he needs to perform. John is probably looking at

John has been gathering information from a variety of sources, including a manager's subordinates, in order to assess their performance. He is conducting

Which of the following is correct with respect to behaviour-based interviewing?

The term "bona fide occupational requirement" means that an employer can choose one worker over another based on overriding characteristics of the job.

After negotiations failed, Acme Baskets, Inc. may choose to use a(n) ________ to prevent union employees from coming to work.

________ distribute bonuses to all employees in a company based upon reduced costs from working more efficiently.

Which selection technique is most likely to introduce bias?

The process of determining the predictive value of information is called forecasting.