Deck 10: Human Resource Management and Labor Relations

Question 1

In a company-sponsored pension plan,employees are not allowed or required to make contributions.

Answer 1

False
Explanation:In some cases, the company contributes all the money to the pension fund; in other cases, contributions are made by both the company and employees.

Question 2

Companies often use internal recruitment to build morale and keep high-quality employees from leaving.

Answer 2

True
Explanation:Internal recruiting means considering present employees as candidates for openings; promotion from within can help build morale and keep high-quality employees from leaving.

Question 3

Employers may require an AIDS test as a condition of an offer of employment.

Answer 3

False
Explanation:Organizations must treat AIDS like any other disease covered by law; no employer can legally require an AIDS or any other medical exam as a condition for making an offer of employment.

Question 4

When selecting someone to hire,the first step in selection is usually asking the candidate to take a test.

Question 5

The number of variable pay programs in the United States has been consistently falling for the last decade,and it is predicted that they will continue to decline in popularity.

Question 6

A solution to a long-term contract based solely on COLA is called a wage reopener clause that does not allow wage rates to be renegotiated.

Question 7

Job analysis is the systematic analysis of jobs within an organization resulting in a job description.

Question 8

Although millions of American workers still belong to unions,union membership as a percentage of the total workforce has steadily declined.

Question 9

Performance appraisals are designed to show workers how well they are doing their jobs.

Question 10

In spite of employment at will,employees may not be fired for filing workers' compensation claims.

Question 11

In recent years,some companies have run into problems because they have not set aside enough money to cover the retirement funds they have agreed to provide.

Question 12

In setting wage and salary levels,a firm may start by looking at competitors' levels.

Question 13

Employers can legally require a medical examination as a condition for making an offer of employment.

Question 14

Human resource managers need to forecast the internal and external supply of employees.

Question 15

The increased demand for knowledge workers will require firms to use extra measures,such as higher salaries and signing bonuses,to attract qualified employees.

Question 16

Wages refer to compensation usually expressed as an amount paid per year.

Question 17

When forecasting the internal supply of labor,planners must rely on information from sources such as government reports and figures supplied by colleges on the number of students in major fields.

Question 18

Labor relations refers to the process of dealing with employees who are not represented by a union.

Question 19

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is the single most comprehensive piece of legislation regarding workplace safety and health.

Question 20

Many firms say that merit raises are a better motivator than variable pay.

Question 21

Jean's paycheck is calculated from the number of hours worked during the week times her hourly rate.What type of system is used to pay Jean?

A) gainsharing
B) salary
C) profit sharing
D) wage
E) incentive

Question 22

Wage reopener clauses are required by federal and state law.

Question 23

What term describes the situation when workers perform jobs at a less efficient pace?

A) lockout
B) boycott
C) slowdown
D) walkout
E) strike

Question 24

What is the name given to an employee who is hired on something other than a permanent or full-time basis?

A) knowledge expert
B) contingent worker
C) technical employee
D) supervisory manager
E) managing director

Question 25

What is the process by which union leaders and managers negotiate common terms and conditions of employment for the workers represented by unions?

A) striking
B) picketing
C) informational gathering
D) collective bargaining
E) compensation planning

Question 26

Which plan refers to compensation other than wages and salaries and other incentive pay offered by a firm to its workers?

A) profit-sharing
B) gainsharing
C) benefits
D) pay-for-knowledge
E) variable

Question 27

What occurs when a neutral third party dictates a settlement between two sides that have agreed to submit to outside judgment?

A) mediation
B) arbitration
C) strikebreaker
D) impasse
E) picketing

Question 28

Which of the following occurs when union members agree not to buy the products of a targeted employer?

A) lockout
B) boycott
C) mediation
D) arbitration
E) slowdown

Question 29

What is another name given to human resource managers?

A) financial managers
B) personnel managers
C) production managers
D) accounting managers
E) business development managers

Question 30

Which of the following contains information on each employee's education,skills,work experiences,and career aspirations?

A) managerial grid
B) employee information system
C) job analysis
D) job specification
E) labor forecast

Question 31

If negotiations fail,what can a company choose to use to prevent union employees from coming to work?

A) wildcat strike
B) lockout
C) strikebreaker
D) economic strike
E) bailout

Question 32

Which of the following describes the skills,abilities,and qualifications required for a job?

A) staffing survey
B) advertising budget
C) job specification
D) employee analysis
E) replacement chart

Question 33

Which of the following is considered the starting point of effective human resource management?

A) external staffing
B) recruitment
C) planning
D) financing
E) compensation

Question 34

Which of the following outlines the duties of a job,its working conditions,and the tools,materials,and equipment used to perform it?

A) job advertisement
B) job specification
C) job description
D) job analysis
E) job report

Question 35

What is the purpose of a skills inventory?

A) to plan and identify people for transfer or promotion
B) to list key managerial positions
C) to describe the specifications for a job
D) to assess trends in previous human resource usage
E) to hire people from outside the organization

Question 36

Plants Galore is a business selling a range of indoor plants.In the past there has been a problem with plants being stolen by staff.Which of the following represents the biggest limitation in reference checks as a reliable way of assessing the value of prospective employees?

A) Reference checks are illegal in a number of states.
B) Reference checks obtained from previous employers are out of date.
C) Some previous employers may no longer be in business.
D) Some reference checks can be time consuming.
E) Reference checks tend to only tap positive recommendations.

Question 37

Which of the following links salary increases to performance levels in nonsales jobs?

A) bonuses
B) collective bargaining
C) merit salary systems
D) cafeteria benefit plans
E) workers' compensation insurance

Question 38

What is the name given to a group of individuals working together to achieve shared job-related goals such as higher pay,shorter working hours,greater benefits,or better working conditions?

A) management organization
B) company hierarchy
C) labor union
D) external organization
E) permanent employees

Question 39

What is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union?

A) labor relations
B) human resource management
C) negotiation
D) arbitration
E) contingency recruitment

Question 40

Which of the following types of training occurs while the employee is at his or her place of work?

A) on-the-job training
B) vestibule training
C) off-site training
D) incentive training
E) remote training

Question 41

What employment issue would a labor union be BEST equipped to resolve?

A) Aarif is Muslim and requires working an alternate schedule during Ramadan, but other employees still have to work the standard 8: 00 to 5: 00 while he is observing the month for religious purposes.
B) Celia is a Latina woman who feels she did not get hired because of her ethnicity.
C) Gary has a salary that is $8,000 higher than Sarah's. Sarah and Gary are the same age with similar professional experiences. The only difference is that Sarah has a Master's degree and Gary has a Bachelor's degree.
D) Daniel is of retirement age, but wants to continue to work in his organization.
E) Sean is interested in applying for a position that requests applicants have higher credentials than what he has.

Question 42

Fletcher is meeting with each of his subordinates to discuss their performance over the past year.What process is he involved in?

A) job description
B) labor negotiations
C) vestibule assessment
D) performance appraisal
E) financial remuneration

Question 43

What are independent contractors,on-call workers,temporary employees,contract employees,and leased employees all examples of?

A) union workers
B) contingent workers
C) migratory workers
D) ancillary workers
E) international workers

Question 44

A Web design company,Gen Max,is expanding rapidly and needs to hire middle managers in a climate where first to market is an imperative.Which incentive plan for these employees would BEST help the firm achieve its first-to-market goal?

A) variable pay
B) merit raises
C) profit-sharing
D) gainsharing
E) pay-for-knowledge

Question 45

Ace Products' profits for fiscal year 2013 have exceeded estimates by over 2 million dollars.Which plan can Ace use to distribute part of this excess to employees?

A) gainsharing plan
B) profit-sharing plan
C) cafeteria plan
D) insurance plan
E) salary-sharing plan

Question 46

What do top executives often receive as incentives?

A) merit salary systems
B) workers' compensation insurance
C) salaries
D) stock options
E) wages

Question 47

At Ace Products,employees receive a fixed dollar amount for benefits,but they may choose between various health insurance,life insurance,disability insurance,and educational benefits.What is the name of this plan?

A) gainsharing
B) profit-sharing
C) cafeteria benefits
D) equal employment
E) retention benefits

Question 48

Gretta is observing and interviewing several database administrators to determine the duties and responsibilities associated with their job as well as the knowledge,skills,and abilities that someone must have to perform the job.Which HR function is Gretta performing?

A) staffing
B) promotion
C) job analysis
D) training
E) retention

Question 49

When does the collective bargaining process begin?

A) when the contract is ratified by the members
B) when the bargaining zone is identified
C) when the union is recognized as the official bargaining agent
D) when union and management representatives agree to contract terms
E) when the employer establishes a maximum limit

Question 50

Which term refers to the situation in which middle managers are rewarded for especially productive output,such as for producing earnings that significantly exceed the cost of bonuses?

A) wage inflation
B) a merit salary system
C) a gainsharing plan
D) pay for performance
E) salary sacrifice

Question 51

The insurance company Montas is negotiating with its labor union on varying aspects of the compensation package including remuneration and benefits.Which strategy would be MOST appropriate for the CEO to use in reaching agreement on the contract terms for the amount of staff vacation?

A) bargaining with union representatives for nonfinancial benefits
B) expanding the use of tough bargaining tactics
C) gathering information about staff expectations
D) brokering the prospect of arbitration
E) setting up mediation processes

Question 52

Which term refers to a labor action in which employees temporarily walk off the job and refuse to work?

A) strike
B) lockout
C) boycott
D) mediation
E) bargaining

Question 53

Mary is a supervisor at her company.Under which legal concept is it legal for Mary to discharge all her employees without advance notice?

A) quid pro quo
B) affirmative action
C) employment at will
D) joint agreement
E) arbitration

Question 54

What is the total package that a firm offers employees in return for their labor?

A) wage
B) salary
C) benefits package
D) compensation system
E) retention plan

Question 55

Workers such as computer scientists,engineers,and software developers who typically require extensive and highly specialized training,are known as what?

A) technical workers
B) knowledge workers
C) contingent workers
D) labor relation workers
E) union workers

Question 56

Which term refers to employees hired to supplement a firm's permanent workforce?

A) union workers
B) contingent workers
C) knowledge workers
D) flextime workers
E) remote workers

Question 57

Which legal concept holds that both employer and employee have the mutual right to terminate an employment relationship any time,for any reason,and without advance notice to the other?

A) quid pro quo
B) affirmative action
C) employment at will
D) mutual consent
E) equal employment opportunity

Question 58

Where is a skills inventory often maintained?

A) replacement chart
B) employee information system
C) internal supply forecast
D) work flow chart
E) job description spreadsheet

Question 59

Who are temporary or permanent replacements for striking workers?

A) strikebreakers
B) union busters
C) union breakers
D) contingent workers
E) labor relation teams

Question 60

Which of the following companywide incentive plans distribute bonuses to employees when a company's costs are reduced through greater work efficiency?

A) wage setting plans
B) pay for performance plans
C) profit-sharing plans
D) gainsharing plans
E) pay-for-knowledge plans

Question 61

Which of the following constitutes an illegal hiring practice?

A) asking someone about their availability because the position requires a 50-hour work week
B) establishing a diversity committee to help diverse employees connect with each other
C) asking a candidate whether or not he attends church, because it is important that candidates are available to work on Saturdays and Sundays
D) keeping track of how many males and females are in the organization
E) requiring an applicant to specify gender on an application

Question 62

When does the appraisal process begin?

A) when the manager defines performance standards for an employee
B) after the manager observes the employee's performance
C) as soon as the employee begins working
D) when the employee leaves an organization
E) as soon as the employee requests direction

Question 63

Which of the following,if true,would MOST weaken the Domino Grace CEO's argument?

A) Kryptos' stable finances offer outstanding long-term stability.
B) Both Domino Grace and Kryptos use a variety of tools to communicate their corporate cultures, such as stories, awards, and special employee-only events.
C) Kryptos' latest offer involves paying a higher price to Domino Grace shareholders if the combined company adopts Kryptos' benefits policy.
D) Domino Grace divisions are assigned based on the customers they serve, and not functional areas.
E) Kryptos has announced that it would follow Domino Grace's policies for attracting and retaining talent.

Question 64

A large clothing retailer,Finch Line,has recently expanded but is having problems retaining experienced staff,despite paying salaries that are above industry averages.Which strategy would BEST support the HR manager's initiative to decrease the rate of turnover of the company's experienced staff?

A) offering employees a structured path to promotion
B) offering across-the-board pay increases to all employees
C) making cost-of-living adjustments in employees' wages
D) offering staff more money for better performance
E) evaluating staff expectations as they relate to management goals

Question 65

Which selection technique is MOST likely to introduce bias?

A) interview
B) application forms
C) aptitude tests
D) drug testing
E) polygraph tests

Question 66

Health Connect is a start-up software development company specializing in the design of imaging for medical practitioners.They are at the stage where they need to recruit a team of technical employees.Which of the following is the BEST reason for NOT relying solely on interviews when recruiting the technical staff?

A) Interviews tend to have a poor record as a predictor of successful job performance.
B) Technical staff tend to be confident people, and they all perform equally well in the interview situation.
C) Start-up companies are not in the position to afford extra recruiting procedures.
D) Interviews used in conjunction with polygraphs can cause job candidates to confess to crimes.
E) Technical people need to be able to assess situations quickly and accurately.

Question 67

Which of the following,if true,would MOST strongly support beginning a thorough performance appraisal of the Foothill locations by reassessing performance criteria?

A) Corporate practice has always been to reassess performance criteria on an annual basis.
B) The performance goals used by Foothill are quite different from those used by Cashcorp.
C) The Cashcorp CEO would like to see the new Foothill locations increase their assets by at least 15 percent.
D) The two best performers among the Foothill branches are the most recently opened, and its employees have the fewest years of service with the firm.
E) Employees at Foothill have been with the firm an average of twelve years.

Question 68

Which of the following,if true,would strengthen the Kryptos CEO's argument?

A) Mergers are more common in the financial services industry than in many other industries.
B) Mergers are easier to execute when the merged organizations have similar corporate cultures.
C) At Kryptos, Accounting, Operations, and Human Resources are among the departments that already have the capacity to serve a much larger organization.
D) Overcoming resistance to change by using threats and other forms of coercion is usually considered only after all other options have been considered.
E) Kryptos offers employees the opportunity to serve for a year or more in overseas offices.

Question 69

Which of the following,if true,would support the HR Director's position that the firm's workforce is at risk of becoming disengaged?

A) National polls show that less than a third of all employees are fully engaged in their work.
B) The firm's stated vision holds that each and every employee must be committed to the company's goals.
C) There are few job openings in Crescendo for which Crescendo employees can apply.
D) Crescendo offers only voluntary training programs to prepare workers for job advancement.
E) Appraisal reviews of employees are held only once a year.

Question 70

Which of the following,if true,would undermine the Kryptos CEO's argument?

A) A few years ago, Kryptos merged with another company.
B) Concern over a possible reduction of benefits is only one of many reasons why Domino Grace employees object to the merger.
C) Attempting to overcome change through hiding the truth about the effects of the change can undermine management's credibility.
D) Customers have strong connections to their Domino Grace brokers, but little loyalty to Domino Grace as a company.
E) Employees at Domino Grace who have counterparts performing similar work at Kryptos tend to be paid more than their Kryptos counterparts.

Question 71

All of the following point out reasons why the Human Resources department should be skeptical about the data collected EXCEPT:

A) The applicants may not believe that the responses will truly be anonymous.
B) The applicants may not be able to accurately measure their own personality traits.
C) The applicants may deliberately exaggerate their positive characteristics.
D) The applicants' responses may not show any connection between personality and job performance.
E) The applicants' responses may reflect their mood only at the time of the test.

Question 72

Under what legal concept is Bill able to quit his job at the pickle factory at any time and without notice?

A) quid pro quo
B) mutual consent
C) joint agreement
D) employment at will
E) labor relation negotiation

Question 73

The Internet start-up company QuickThink is considering whether to hire recent college grad Thomas as a full-time employee or as a contingent worker.Which of the following is NOT a likely disadvantage to the company if they hired Thomas as a contingent worker rather than a full-time one?

A) Thomas may not be fully committed to the organization and its long-term goals.
B) QuickThink will have to provide Thomas with ongoing and highly specialized training to prevent his skills from becoming obsolete.
C) Thomas may lack much firm-specific knowledge.
D) Managers will face possibly complicated decisions about how to integrate Thomas into the organization.
E) Thomas may be less willing to engage in organizational citizenship behaviors.

Question 74

A restaurant is undergoing a change in cuisine and style of service.It is important that new staff are hired and existing staff retrained.Why might the HR manager recommend vestibule training as being highly effective in this situation?

A) Prospective and present employees can be screened to see if they convey the restaurant's new ethos.
B) Off-site training has great value for evaluating the effectiveness of performance appraisals.
C) Employees will be reluctant to undertake training removed from the workplace.
D) The owners can be more confident that the change to the restaurant will be popular with customers.
E) Employees will see limited connections to everyday work in this type of training.

Question 75

Which of the following,if true,would MOST support the CEO's position that the firm is basically healthy?

A) Sales have declined proportionally less than those of Crescendo's competitors.
B) Supervisors report few complaints coming from their subordinates.
C) With the economy improving, the firm is beginning to turn a profit.
D) It has been easy to replace the positions that have come open.
E) The company has always rewarded its top performers in each division.

Question 76

Which of the following,if true,would MOST strongly support changing who is responsible for performance appraisals at Foothill?

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 77

Which of the following,if true,would MOST strongly support the Domino Grace CEO's argument?

A) The current proposal calls for all Kryptos employees with outstanding benefit packages to keep them in the merged company.
B) Shareholders of Domino Grace tend to support the merger.
C) According to the charters of both companies, any savings from reducing benefits would be recorded in a post-merger report.
D) A recent economic downturn has reduced the ability of many in the financial services industry to find new jobs.
E) Kryptos provides paths to advancement that are faster than those offered by most companies in the industry.

Question 78

Jane,a supervisor,has offered George,a subordinate,a raise and promotion in exchange for a sexual relationship.What type of harassment is this offer an example of?

A) quid pro quo
B) hostile work environment
C) employment at will
D) reverse
E) financial

Question 79

The applicants are likely to give inflated estimates of all of the following EXCEPT:

A) emotional stability, including the person's ability to withstand stress.
B) conscientiousness, a measure of reliability.
C) agreeableness, a measure of the ability to cooperate.
D) risk-taking, a measure of eagerness to take chances.
E) self-monitoring, a measure of the ability to alter one's behavior based on external factors.

Question 80

In considering the contributions of knowledge workers in the information age,what value do these employees add?

A) their work style
B) their professional network
C) their skill in a specialized field
D) their management skills
E) their capacity to change careers