Question 1

________ lead(s)to both high individual and high organisational performance.

Accepted Answer

A)  Work specialisation
B)  Departmentalisation
C)  Centralisation of operations
D)  High-performance work practices
E)  Lower span of control D

Question 2

What is the method by which management identifies applicant characteristics to ensure the most appropriate candidate is hired?

Accepted Answer

A)  selection
B)  affirmative action
C)  firing
D)  decruitment
E)  recruitment A

Question 3

Which of the following statements is TRUE of current situations in human resource management?

Accepted Answer

A)  To improve workforce diversity, managers need to narrow their approach to recruiting.
B)  Once a diverse pool of applicants is defined, a manager does not need to address discrimination as a problem.
C)  Recent research has shown that diversity makes moving into a workforce harder for women and minorities.
D)  Inclusive workplaces tap into the potential of diverse populations to improve productivity
E)  Some organisations are avoiding problems of diversity by grouping workers from similar backgrounds D

Question 4

In a short essay, define sexual harassment and describe the three situations in which sexual harassment can occur.Also explain why management should be concerned about sexual harassment among its employees and what it should do about it.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a short essay, define sexual harassment...

Question 5

The selection process is the process of screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Recruitment
Ken's company was expanding.After a period of downsizing, the company had decided to increase organisational profitability by gaining market share, which meant a need for more people.As assistant manager of human resources, he was in the process of evaluating what would be the most effective means of gaining new employees who were qualified, cost efficient and helped maintain the company's commitment to a diversified workforce.
-Refer to Recruitment (Scenario).Another source of employees, ________, has a large, centralised pool of candidates, but tends to only be good for entry-level positions.

Accepted Answer

A)  university and college recruitment
B)  advertisements
C)  internal search
D)  public employment agencies
E)  temporary help services

Question 7

Human Resources Selection
Dennis, the manager of selection in the human resources department, had been asked by Stephen, his boss and Vice President of human resources, to review the selection methods their firm had been using and to recommend methods for future use.It seems that recent hires just had not been working out, and this caused friction between the human resources group and the front-line managers who had to utilise the talent sent to them.Additionally, there was also a need to hire executives in the company and, due to the responsibility these positions carry, the company wanted to ensure they selected the best possible people.Dennis reviewed written tests as a selection method.
-Refer to Human Resources Selection (Scenario).Dennis knew that the company would always utilise some form of interviewing of candidates.He discovered that all but one of the following suggestions would help structure a higher-quality interview.

Accepted Answer

A)  Avoid short interviews that encourage premature decision-making.
B)  Minimise any prior knowledge of applicants' background, experience, interests, test scores or other characteristics.
C)  Have general information about the job for which applicants are interviewing.
D)  Structure a fixed set of questions for all applicants.
E)  Take notes during the interview.

Question 8

The Internal Hire
Dan Young is a new sales manager for The Flourish Group, a private healthcare consulting firm based in New South Wales.Dan was hired from within the firm and he is now supervising many of the people he had formerly worked with, including two friends with whom he competed for his new job.Thus, Dan is especially sensitive to potential problems stemming from the performance evaluation process and is conducting lengthy research on the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods.
-Refer to The Internal Hire (Scenario).Dan is a little concerned over constant reports that his salespeople are unreasonably demanding of sales administration and customer service personnel.Although Dan knows that one of his salespeople is very difficult to deal with at times, he believes the rest are being painted with the same brush unfairly.With management's approval, Dan administers a survey to sales administration and customer service staff, asking them to respond to items that reflect the actual job behaviours of sales employees from all four regions.The surveys are randomised to eliminate potential biases.He then compares his region's evaluation against that of the others.This is most representative of what performance evaluation method?

Accepted Answer

A)  critical incident
B)  360-degree feedback
C)  behaviourally anchored rating scales
D)  graphic rating scales
E)  multi-person comparison

Question 9

Physical examinations, as a selection device, are used primarily for insurance purposes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

A Sign of the Times
Aurora hated this.After hearing of the threat for a long time, her company had finally decided that it must 'right size,' and this meant coming up with a plan for reducing the current size of the work force at her manufacturing plant.The job was left to her and, as much as she hated doing this part of her job, it was necessary for the survival of the company and was not just an effort to inflate their stock price.She also appreciated that her company was willing to try many different routes to decrease their labour costs, which was consistent with the positive way the company had treated their employees in the past.
-Refer to A Sign of the Times (Scenario).Another option that may help would be to have employees work fewer hours per week, share jobs, or perform their jobs on a part-time basis, an option known as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  reduced work-week
B)  dismissal
C)  early retirements
D)  lay-off
E)  transfers

Question 11

Learning a job by studying under an experienced worker is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  job rotation
B)  self-paced instruction
C)  mentoring
D)  apprenticeship
E)  simulation

Question 12

'Sexual harassment' is defined as any desired action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly affects an individual's employment, performance or work environment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

To improve workplace diversity, managers should ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  widen their recruiting net
B)  downsize
C)  hire more employee referrals
D)  recruit more minority candidates
E)  group workers from similar cultural backgrounds together

Question 14

A good interviewer will minimise any prior knowledge about the applicants' background, experience, interests, test scores or other characteristics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The primary determinant of an individual's pay is his/her job experience.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The Internal Hire
Dan Young is a new sales manager for The Flourish Group, a private healthcare consulting firm based in New South Wales.Dan was hired from within the firm and he is now supervising many of the people he had formerly worked with, including two friends with whom he competed for his new job.Thus, Dan is especially sensitive to potential problems stemming from the performance evaluation process and is conducting lengthy research on the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods.
-Refer to The Internal Hire (Scenario).Over the course of the year, Dan had taken some time to compile and write down a series of anecdotes about his employees.Some reflect particularly superior or ineffective performance, others are just plain funny.All the anecdotes describe specific behaviours of his employees.During the national sales meeting, time is provided for a break-out session for each region to meet separately.Wade presents these stories, not revealing the identity of the salesperson.The salespeople all enjoy the funny stories.Dan makes a point of commending the superior performance behaviours.After each of the anecdotes reflecting ineffective behaviours, he asks the group to suggest ideas for handling the situation differently.This is most reflective of what appraisal technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  critical incident
B)  MBO
C)  multi-person comparison
D)  written essays
E)  360-degree feedback

Question 17

The Employment Relations Act 2000 (New Zealand)ensures industry-based training for all workers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In a short essay, list and discuss five of the best-known selection devices that managers can use to reduce, accept and reject errors when hiring new employees.Include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these selection devices to support your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a short essay, list and discuss...

Question 19

People who prefer integration are more likely to respond positively to options such as flexitime and part-time hours.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

People who prefer segmentation are more likely to be satisfied and committed to their jobs when offered options such as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  job sharing
B)  use of company lawyers for personal problems
C)  company-sponsored family picnics
D)  on-site child care
E)  gym facilities

Exam 14: Managing Human Resources

________ lead(s) to both high individual and high organisational performance.

What is the method by which management identifies applicant characteristics to ensure the most appropriate candidate is hired?

Which of the following statements is TRUE of current situations in human resource management?

In a short essay, define sexual harassment and describe the three situations in which sexual harassment can occur.Also explain why management should be concerned about sexual harassment among its employees and what it should do about it.

The selection process is the process of screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.

Physical examinations, as a selection device, are used primarily for insurance purposes.

Learning a job by studying under an experienced worker is known as ________.

'Sexual harassment' is defined as any desired action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly affects an individual's employment, performance or work environment.

To improve workplace diversity, managers should ________.

A good interviewer will minimise any prior knowledge about the applicants' background, experience, interests, test scores or other characteristics.

The primary determinant of an individual's pay is his/her job experience.

The Employment Relations Act 2000 (New Zealand)ensures industry-based training for all workers.

In a short essay, list and discuss five of the best-known selection devices that managers can use to reduce, accept and reject errors when hiring new employees.Include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these selection devices to support your answer.

People who prefer integration are more likely to respond positively to options such as flexitime and part-time hours.

People who prefer segmentation are more likely to be satisfied and committed to their jobs when offered options such as ________.