Question 1

When other companies were downsizing, Schlumberger was focused on keeping its talent and developing people to build up its bench strength.

Accepted Answer

Schlumberger, during times when other companies might have been downsizing, focused on retaining and developing its talent, aiming to strengthen its workforce and prepare for future demands. This approach is indicative of a long-term strategy to build organizational capabilities and resilience.

Question 2

Of Schlumberger's top managers today, about 40 percent were recruited right out of school and have remained loyal employees throughout their entire career.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

Human resources management is important primarily because it can help satisfy employees, but it is not important enough to affect the value of a company.

Accepted Answer

Human resources management is crucial not only for satisfying employees but also for enhancing the overall value of a company by improving productivity, fostering a positive work culture, and ensuring strategic alignment of human capital with organizational goals.

Question 4

Successful organizations view their employees as assets that need to be managed conscientiously and in tune with the organization's needs.

Accepted Answer

Successful organizations recognize the value of their employees and understand that managing them effectively and aligning their skills and motivations with the organization's goals is crucial for achieving success.

Question 5

Firms such as Yahoo! and eBay use their approaches to managing human resources to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Firms such as Yahoo! and eBay use...

Question 6

There is a significant association between using state-of-the-art approaches to HRM and profitability in subsequent years.

Accepted Answer

Research in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) has shown that adopting state-of-the-art HRM practices, such as talent management, performance-based compensation, and employee engagement strategies, can lead to improved organizational performance and profitability. These practices help in attracting, retaining, and motivating employees, which in turn enhances productivity and profitability in subsequent years.

Question 7

To be a source of sustainable competitive advantage, an organization's approach to human resource management must also be rare.

Accepted Answer

For a resource or capability to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage, according to the VRIO framework, it must be valuable, rare, inimitable, and the organization must have the ability to exploit it. If an approach to human resource management is not rare, other organizations can easily replicate it, diminishing its potential to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage.

Question 8

After completing their initial ethics training, and once a year thereafter, J. M. Smucker employees sign a nine-page ethics contract.

Accepted Answer

J. M. Smucker employees are required to sign a nine-page ethics contract after their initial ethics training and annually thereafter.

Question 9

Employees "voting with their feet" means they are guided by and only work for companies they agree with regarding the political party affiliation of top management.

Accepted Answer

"Voting with their feet" generally means employees choose to leave or stay at a company based on their satisfaction with the workplace, its policies, culture, or ethical stance, rather than the political affiliations of its management.

Question 10

The principle of equal employment opportunity states that job applicants and employees should be judged on characteristics that are related to the work that they are being hired to do and on their job performance after being hired.

Accepted Answer

The principle of equal employment opportunity is based on the idea that individuals should be considered for employment and evaluated in their jobs based on their qualifications, skills, and performance, rather than on unrelated factors such as race, gender, age, or other personal characteristics.

Question 11

Compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is monitored by the Department of Commerce.

Accepted Answer

Compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is monitored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), not the Department of Commerce.

Question 12

The case against Texaco for racial discrimination was the largest case of its kind up until then, amounting to a settlement of some $140 million.

Accepted Answer

The case against Texaco in the mid-1990s was indeed the largest case of its kind at the time, resulting in a settlement of approximately $140 million to address claims of racial discrimination against its African American employees.

Question 13

Compensation and benefits practices are shaped by numerous laws and regulations.

Accepted Answer

Compensation and benefits practices are influenced by various laws and regulations to ensure fairness, prevent discrimination, and protect the rights of workers. These laws may include minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, health and safety standards, and anti-discrimination laws, among others.

Question 14

The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) is a federal law that specifies a national minimum wage rate and requires payment for overtime work by covered employees.

Accepted Answer

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay eligibility, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.

Question 15

Like the United States, Indonesian laws protect employees from discrimination on the basis of, age, national origin, race, and religion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Like the United States, Indonesian laws protect...

Question 16

In 1950, the Fair Labor Standards Act originally guaranteed American workers a minimum wage of $2.25/hour.

Accepted Answer

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 originally set the minimum wage at $0.25 per hour, not $2.25/hour.

Question 17

Pay discrepancies between men and women are usually due to performance, past experience, or inflation.

Accepted Answer

Pay discrepancies between men and women often stem from systemic issues, including gender discrimination and unequal opportunities, rather than solely from performance, past experience, or inflation.

Question 18

In effective organizations, goals for managing human resources are established first, followed by operational business goals that will be consistent with the HR goals.

Accepted Answer

In effective organizations, operational business goals are typically established first, and then goals for managing human resources are set to support and align with the overarching business objectives.

Question 19

When HP changed its strategy to move into the digital entertainment market, they also had to consider whether they would need different types of employees.

Accepted Answer

When a company like HP shifts its strategy to enter a new market such as digital entertainment, it often requires different skill sets and expertise among its employees to successfully navigate and compete in the new domain.

Question 20

To plan for future workforce needs, HP uses a six-step process. The first step in this process is to focus on operational issues.

Accepted Answer

The first step in HP's workforce planning process is to define the business strategy, not to focus on operational issues. Understanding the business strategy is crucial for aligning workforce planning with the company's long-term goals and objectives.

Quiz 13: Managing Human Resources