Question 1

Ironically,involving employees in decision making and giving them the power to act tends to decrease employee engagement.

Accepted Answer

Involving employees in decision making and giving them the power to act tends to increase employee engagement as it makes them feel valued and invested in the organization's success.

Question 2

Moving power downward in organizations frequently requires structural change.

Accepted Answer

Moving power downward in organizations often requires a change in the organizational structure to enable more decentralized decision-making and greater employee autonomy. This can involve creating smaller teams, removing layers of management, and redefining roles and responsibilities.

Question 3

The primary principles that support high performance work systems are teams,empowerment,and hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

The primary principles that support high performance work systems are teamwork, continuous learning and improvement, employee involvement and empowerment, and flexible organizational structures. Hierarchy is not considered a primary principle in this context.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Knowledge development involves the creation and sharing of information and expertise, which is essential in high performance work systems where employees are expected to continuously learn and adapt to changing circumstances. This sharing of information helps to ensure that everyone in the organization is working towards a common goal and can leverage each other's knowledge to make better decisions and solve problems more effectively.

Question 5

High-performance work systems depend on the shift from knowledge work to touch labor.

Accepted Answer

High-performance work systems depend on the shift from touch labor to knowledge work, where employees possess more skills, knowledge, and decision-making abilities in their work. This shift leads to increased productivity, quality, and innovation in organizations.

Question 6

Many high-performance work systems begin with highly directive recruitment and selection practices.

Accepted Answer

Highly directive recruitment and selection practices are often used in high-performance work systems to ensure that the organization is hiring the right people with the necessary skills and qualifications to achieve its goals. This may involve using rigorous screening processes, such as behavioral interviews, skills tests, and personality assessments, to identify the best candidates for the job.

Question 7

It is not uncommon for employees to intentionally or unintentionally pursue outcomes that are beneficial to them but not necessarily to the organization as a whole.

Accepted Answer

This is true. People may have personal goals or motives that do not align with institutional goals, which can result in actions that benefit them but not the organization as a whole.

Question 8

High-performance work systems frequently begin with the way work is designed.

Accepted Answer

High-performance work systems (HPWS) emphasize the importance of designing work processes that enable employees to make use of their knowledge and skills in order to produce superior products and services. Thus, work design is a key element of HPWS.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

When employees are aware of the business plans, performance, and strategies, they have a better understanding of the business and are more likely to provide suggestions for improvement based on their insights and experience. This can lead to better decision making and ultimately improve the overall performance of the business.

Question 10

Open pay systems create a more egalitarian environment.

Accepted Answer

Open pay systems allow for greater transparency and fairness in compensation, as all employees are aware of each other's salaries and job responsibilities. This can promote a more egalitarian environment where employees feel valued and recognized for their contributions.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

High-performance work systems typically invest in training to develop employees' skills and abilities, which enables them to take on more responsibility and contribute to the organization's success.

Question 12

Training focuses on ensuring that employees have the skills they need to assume greater responsibility in a high-performance work environment.

Accepted Answer

Training is a key aspect of developing employee skills and knowledge to perform their jobs effectively and prepare them for greater responsibilities in a high-performance work environment.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Redesigning workflow around key business processes should not detract from teamwork if the new design aims to improve communication and collaboration among employees. In fact, an effective workflow redesign should enhance the ability of employees to work together and achieve shared goals.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. With the changing business landscape, organizations are recognizing the importance of empowering employees to bring their skills and creativity to the table, rather than relying solely on top-down directives. This approach can lead to increased innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

Question 15

The principle of shared information typifies a shift in organizations away from the mentality of command and control toward one more focused on employee commitment.

Accepted Answer

The principle of shared information emphasizes the importance of open communication and collaboration among employees, which is a hallmark of a more collaborative and inclusive organizational culture. This approach is designed to engender greater employee commitment and ownership of organizational goals, and is therefore distinct from the traditional command and control approach to management.

Question 16

The compensation package is not significant for high performance work systems to succeed,as HPWSs generally focus on knowledge development and information sharing.

Accepted Answer

Compensation is a critical component of high performance work systems (HPWSs) as it motivates employees, aligns their goals with organizational objectives, and rewards high performance, thereby contributing to the success of HPWSs.

Question 17

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.

Accepted Answer

By linking rewards to performance, managers can incentivize employees to work towards job outcomes that support the organization's goals. This helps create alignment and motivation towards achieving shared objectives.

Question 18

One of the underlying ideas of high-performance work systems is that workers are intimately acquainted with the nature of their own work and are therefore in the best position to recognize problems and devise solutions to them.

Accepted Answer

This is true. High-performance work systems emphasize employee empowerment and involvement in decision-making processes, recognizing that workers have valuable knowledge and insights about their own work. This involvement can lead to increased productivity, improved quality, and greater job satisfaction.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

The principle of shared information is more aligned with collaborative and decentralized systems rather than command and control, which typically involves top-down decision-making and limited information sharing.

Question 20

Most high performance work systems are able to isolate a single approach to a pay system that works for everyone.

Accepted Answer

High performance work systems typically recognize that employees have different roles, skills, and levels of performance, and therefore require a more customized and individualized approach to compensation. One-size-fits-all pay systems may not be effective in motivating and retaining top performers, and may even create inequities and dissatisfaction among employees. As such, a more flexible and differentiated pay system may be necessary to accommodate the diverse needs and contributions of employees in a high performance work system.

Quiz 16: Creating High Performance Work Systems