Deck 16: Creating High Performance Work Systems

Question 1

Which of the following is the most likely outcome in connecting rewards to organizational performance?

A) lower employee turnover
B) lower total labour costs
C) fairness and focusing employees on the organization
D) competitive wages in the marketplace

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following compensation systems does NOT focus employee efforts on outcomes that are beneficial to both themselves and the organization as a whole?

A) profit-sharing plans
B) skill-based pay systems
C) hourly based pay systems
D) employee stock ownership plans

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Studies indicate that performance and satisfaction are higher when organizations do which of the following?

A) combine work-flow design with top-down communication and implementation
B) pay employees more
C) develop work-flow systems around family-friendly principles
D) combine work-flow design with HR practices that encourage development and involvement

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is one of the primary benefits of cross-training employees?

A) Cross-training helps employees identify trouble spots that cut across several jobs.
B) Cross-training enables managers to save money in labour costs.
C) Cross-training enables managers to spend less time supervising individual performance.
D) Cross-training enables individuals to exert more effort on their job.

Question 5

For investing in employee knowledge development, which of the following HR practices is NOT appropriate?

A) providing all employees opportunities to continuously learn
B) selecting the best and brightest candidates available
C) rewarding employees for the acquisition of new skills
D) evaluating employees based primarily on task performance

Question 6

Organizations that wish to emphasize teamwork and cooperation across units would promote which of the following types of training?

A) cross-training
B) spot training
C) efficiency training
D) work training

Question 7

High-performance work systems depend on the shift from touch labour to which of the following types of work?

A) knowledge
B) managerial
C) scientific
D) technical

Question 8

In order to address competitive challenges, all of the following employee concerns are important EXCEPT which one?

A) developing high technologies and processes
B) recognizing employee rights
C) managing a diverse workforce
D) balancing work-family demands

Question 9

High-performance work systems frequently begin with which of the following?

A) compensation packages
B) supportive information technologies
C) highly directive recruitment and selection practices
D) employee training

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a primary principle for support of high-performance work systems?

A) knowledge development
B) reliance on hierarchy
C) linking rewards with performance
D) shared information

Question 11

Which of the following statements captures the fundamental logic of high-performance work systems?

A) These are HR practices used to manage higher-performing employees.
B) Each of the HR practices creates high-performance employees in isolation.
C) These are work systems that are prominent in high-performance organizations.
D) All the HR practices work in complementary fashion to create synergy.

Question 12

In high-performance organizations, which of the following is a key purpose of training?

A) to get employees to assume greater responsibility
B) to help employees earn higher wages
C) to encourage employees to remain loyal to the organization
D) to encourage employees to lower organizational costs

Question 13

While increasing or improving collaboration and teamwork, egalitarian work environments reduce or eliminate which of the following?

A) the need for shared information
B) the need for skill-based pay systems
C) status and power differences
D) pay-scale differences

Question 14

Changes in work-flow design should be combined with HR practices that encourage skill development and which of the following?

A) team-based selection
B) downsizing
C) HRIS technologies
D) employee involvement

Question 15

All of the following benefits are realized by redesigning work around key business processes EXCEPT which one?

A) It empowers employees to make decisions.
B) It standardizes employees' skills.
C) It establishes a work environment that facilitates teamwork.
D) It takes advantage of employees' skills and knowledge.

Question 16

To create a more flexible pool of employees, which of the following should managers do?

A) implement a gainsharing incentive system
B) rely on skill-based pay structures.
C) rely on job-based pay structures
D) implement an employee stock ownership plan

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a benefit that is realized by aligning employee rewards with performance?

A) Employees will share the gains that result from any performance improvement.
B) Employees will perceive a greater degree of fairness.
C) Customers are more likely to be satisfied.
D) Employees will pursue outcomes that are beneficial only to them.

Question 18

In high-performance work systems, training efforts tend to primarily focus on all of the following EXCEPT which one?

A) technical skills
B) interpersonal skills
C) problem-solving skills
D) time management skills

Question 19

In which of the following work environments are collaboration and teamwork encouraged and status and power differences diminished?

A) a democratic environment
B) an egalitarian environment
C) an autocratic environment
D) a self-actualization environment

Question 20

Which of the following do high-performance work systems NOT seek to include in maximizing employee performance and well-being?

A) HR practices
B) customer service practices
C) management processes
D) work structures

Question 21

Which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to be asked during a process audit?

A) "Are employees rewarded for good performance and useful suggestions?"
B) "Is training developing the knowledge/skills employees need?"
C) "Are employees making more money than in the past?"
D) "Are employees actually working together, or is 'team' just a label?"

Question 22

Which of the following HR tools do Dave Ulrich and other professors advocate using to diagnose internal and external fit?

A) HR Communication Plan
B) HR Strategic Performance Drivers
C) HR Scorecard
D) HR Plan for Workforce Deliverables

Question 23

Which of the following is most likely to occur when employees become more involved in their work within a high-performance work system?

A) They feel overworked from added responsibilities.
B) They tend to be under a higher level of stress.
C) They find their growth needs more fully met.
D) They tend to be less satisfied.

Question 24

A recent survey by the American Society for Training and Development identified all of the following as necessary actions for successful implementation of high-performance work systems EXCEPT which one?

A) making a compelling case for the change linked to the company's strategy
B) allocating sufficient resources and support for the change
C) relying upon a narrow chain of communication with the managers who are responsible for implementation
D) establishing methods for measuring the results of change

Question 25

To achieve internal fit, organizations should use all of the following HR practices together EXCEPT which one?

A) compensation
B) training and development
C) first-rate selection system
D) morale testing

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a tangible symbol of commitment between labour and management?

A) the establishment of joint forums with explicit mandates
B) clauses in the collective bargaining agreement
C) a policy document clarifying union involvement
D) good-faith negotiations

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT an added value of open, ongoing dialogue during change implementation?

A) It speeds up the implementation process.
B) It enables both managers and workers to identify areas for improvement throughout the implementation.
C) It enables employees to ask questions as they come up.
D) It reaffirms commitment at all levels.

Question 28

Which of the following types of fit describes high-performance work systems that complement and reinforce one another?

A) depth fit
B) lateral fit
C) internal fit
D) external fit

Question 29

Which of the following is one of the best ways to help employees see the need for change?

A) show a gap between the present and future
B) promote roundtable discussions
C) communicate change through consultants
D) start progressive rumours

Question 30

Which of the following are valuable, but sometimes overlooked, internal resources when implementing a high-performance work system?

A) line managers
B) external consultants
C) HR managers
D) customers

Question 31

Which of the following is the most frequent mistake that companies make during implementation, as noted by the ASTD council on high-performance work systems?

A) failure to involve the union
B) failure to create a compelling reason for change
C) failure to provide an adequate communication system
D) failure to evaluate the system

Question 32

Which of the following trends in the role of managers and supervisors in high-performance work systems has been observed?

A) Their role has remained about the same.
B) Their role has become less important.
C) Their role has changed substantially.
D) Their role has changed only slightly.

Question 33

Within a high-performance work system, what type of labour-management relationship is LEAST likely to prove effective?

A) a cooperative relationship
B) an adversarial relationship
C) a highly involved relationship
D) a collaborative relationship

Question 34

Communication systems should provide accurate information regarding all of the following EXCEPT which one?

A) incipient problems and opportunities
B) unit and corporate operating results
C) employee background and personal data
D) business plans and goals

Question 35

Which of the following sets of competencies should organizations develop in their employees to enhance the degree of rareness in employee skill and abilities?

A) those that provide generic skills that are widely valued
B) those that are not equally available in the labour market
C) those that can be transferred to other organizations
D) those that can be duplicated

Question 36

Which of the following best describes the process of building commitment to high-performance work systems?

A) It is competitive.
B) It is based on technology.
C) It is an ongoing activity.
D) It is costly.

Question 37

All of the following are results from using high-performance work systems EXCEPT which one?

A) higher profitability
B) lower costs
C) lower employee involvement
D) higher employee productivity

Question 38

Which of the following would most likely help managers develop a strong relationship with a union in implementing high-performance work systems?

A) concentrating accountability for union relations with the top management
B) relying on informal communication
C) concentrating efforts on achieving all the organization's objectives
D) involving the union early in the design process

Question 39

Regardless of the time available to implement a high-performance work system, which of the following helps keep everyone on track and prevents the system from bogging down?

A) employee involvement
B) a transition structure
C) empowerment
D) top-management directives

Question 40

What type of fit describes high-performance work systems that support the organization's goals and strategies?

A) internal fit
B) horizontal fit
C) external fit
D) lateral fit

Question 41

Most high-performance work systems focus their training efforts on ensuring that employees have the skills necessary to assume a greater degree of responsibility.

Question 42

When employees have input into decision making, they are more likely to feel committed to new courses of action.

Question 43

The principle of shared information is part of the implementation of a command and control organizational system.

Question 44

Which of the following would not support a high-performance work system in a small-sized organization?

A) developing training programs that continually update employee skills
B) relying upon outsourcing arrangements
C) implementing team-based work systems
D) utilizing compensation practices that support specific organizational goals.

Question 45

In order for organizations to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage through people, they must develop competencies in their employees that are all of the following EXCEPT which one?

A) difficult to imitate
B) generic
C) valuable
D) organized

Question 46

To attain a sustainable competitive advantage through people, which of the following sets of competencies should organizations develop in their employees?

A) those can be duplicated
B) those that provide generic skills that are widely valued
C) those that are designed around unique team processes
D) those that are transferable to other organizations

Question 47

Employee development goes hand-in-hand with information sharing in high-performance work systems.

Question 48

High-performance work systems depend on four things: shared information, knowledge development, performance-reward linkages, and hierarchy.

Question 49

Redesigning workflow around key business processes results in a focus on employee tasks and tends to detract from teamwork.

Question 50

The number of jobs requiring little knowledge and skill is declining, while the number of jobs requiring greater knowledge and skill is growing rapidly.

Question 51

Training in high-performance work systems focuses on arranging workflow and business processes.

Question 52

Employees who are given timely information about business plans, performance, and strategies, are more likely to make good suggestions for improving business.

Question 53

HR managers should take a systems approach to HR practices and policies to maximize the value and output of the firm's human resources in conjunction with organizational strategy.

Question 54

Egalitarian work environments strive to clarify and strengthen status and power differences in order to increase collaboration and teamwork.

Question 55

To encourage employees to pursue job outcomes that are in alignment with the organization's goals, managers should be sure to link rewards to performance.

Question 56

Selection of employees with greater than average talent is a key component of high-performance work systems because selection errors can result in poor performance and undesirable outcomes later.

Question 57

To be successful, high-performance work systems rely upon a culture that promotes egalitarianism.

Question 58

Which of the following features of high-performance work systems do small-sized employers tend to have difficulty with?

A) fostering an egalitarian work culture
B) sharing information with employees
C) linking pay to performance
D) implementing the system

Question 59

Today, organizations are relying more on the expertise and initiative of employees.

Question 60

Connecting rewards to organizational performance generally ensures fairness, and tends to focus on the employees of the organization.

Question 61

In a work system with a high degree of internal fit, adjusting one HR practice is not likely to substantially impact the other components of the work system.

Question 62

Timely and accurate communications are essential for high-performance work systems to succeed.

Question 63

Involving union members only after the design process and implementation plan has been completed helps build a bridge toward employee buy-in.

Question 64

In an environment of shared information, the richest communication occurs face-to-face.

Question 65

To promote an egalitarian environment, organizations such as Monsanto have decided to pay all employees based on salary.

Question 66

When the elements of the work system complement and reinforce one another, internal fit is achieved.

Question 67

Cross-training employees facilitates teamwork and cooperation, and helps employees identify trouble spots that cut across several jobs.

Question 68

One of the best ways to communicate the business needs to employees is to show them the gap between today's current performance and capabilities and where the organization needs to be in the future to be successful.

Question 69

To successfully implement high-performance work systems, managers should emphasize the strategic importance of the change effort.

Question 70

Providing an inadequate communication system is the most common mistake that companies make during implementation of high-performance work systems.

Question 71

Despite fewer layers of management and a greater reliance on team-based organizing, the role of managers and supervisors is not substantially different in an environment of high-performance work systems.

Question 72

Because of its complexity, skill-based pay is seldom used in high-performance work systems.

Question 73

Once properly designed, implementation of high-performance work systems typically encounters few difficulties.

Question 74

To support the principle of sharing information, it is critical that managers encourage open dialogue and communication at all levels of the organization.

Question 75

Efforts to achieve external fit help focus the design of high-performance work systems on strategic drivers.

Question 76

Skill-based pay systems are particularly appropriate for organizations that hope to create flexibility.

Question 77

When the components of a high-performance work system support the organization's goals and strategies, internal fit is achieved.

Question 78

External fit occurs when all of the elements of the work system complement and reinforce one another.

Question 79

Most employees welcome change efforts.

Question 80

Ideally, the high-performance work system should be so effective that management processes and leadership take on a diminished role and employees are left to manage themselves.