Question 1

The _______________ doctrine states that employers have as much right to fire workers as the workers have to leave the company voluntarily.

Accepted Answer

The statement describes the employment-at-will doctrine, which means that an employer can terminate an employee's employment at any time and for any reason, just as an employee is free to quit at any time. The other choices do not accurately describe this concept.

Question 2

A reason workers tend to receive fewer promotions than in the past is that:

Accepted Answer

The movement toward flatter organizational structures means that there are fewer hierarchical levels in organizations, which in turn means fewer opportunities for promotion. Hence, workers tend to receive fewer promotions than in the past. The other options are not completely accurate - A may be true in certain scenarios, but it is not a blanket reason for why workers receive fewer promotions; C is not a valid reason for why workers receive fewer promotions since jealousy/resentment can always exist regardless of the promotion policies; and D is not necessarily true since it depends on the specific organization and its hiring/training practices.

Question 3

Steely Percussion Inc. briefly tried to implement a flextime system, only to abandon it after a few months. Which of the following is the most likely reason Steely would drop its flextime plan?

Accepted Answer

Flextime can lead to difficulties in communication among employees as they may not be present at the same time, hindering collaboration and coordination.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about home-based work is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Although home-based work does offer flexibility and freedom, it can also be challenging for some workers who may find it difficult to manage their time and avoid distractions. Additionally, not all jobs can be done from home, and employers may have concerns about productivity and communication with remote workers. Therefore, it is not accurate to say that home-based work universally increases productivity or that it will necessarily become more common in the future.

Question 5

Although there are advantages and disadvantages to home-based workers for both the employer and employee the disadvantages to employer, employee, and society in general can be summarized as:

Accepted Answer

The lack of social interaction and change in corporate culture can lead to decreased productivity and creativity, as well as a breakdown in communication and teamwork. This can ultimately impact the success of the company and the well-being of society. The other choices are not accurate.

Question 6

Janelle spends three hours each day working as an online customer service representative for an online retailer. She can choose her own hours, within reason. The job works out well for her since she has a new baby that she cares for much of the day. The retailer does not provide her or the other 200 customer service reps with workspace, which constitutes a sizeable cost savings for the company. Janelle participates in a popular work strategy known as ________________.

Accepted Answer

Janelle's work arrangement of working from home as a customer service representative for an online retailer is an example of home-based work.

Question 7

A firm that wants to reduce its office costs, broaden its base of available talent and improve job satisfaction could achieve all of these goals by:

Accepted Answer

Allowing more workers to work from home can help reduce office costs by requiring less physical office space, broaden the available talent pool by allowing for remote work, and improve job satisfaction by providing employees with greater flexibility and work-life balance. The other options do not directly address the goals of reducing office costs, broadening the talent pool, and improving job satisfaction.

Question 8

Tony is an office manager with a financial company. His company recently announced that it will soon implement a flextime plan. Under this new system, Tony is likely to find that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tony is an office manager with a...

Question 9

Steve works in purchasing for the Department of the Army on the east coast. He arrives at work at 6:00 a.m. and leaves by 3:00 p.m. He enjoys this schedule because he is an early riser. A disadvantage to the government in allowing Steve to use flextime is:

Accepted Answer

The one-hour window of opportunity to communicate with defense contractors on the west coast can be missed if Steve is not available during their working hours. This could potentially cause delays or missed opportunities in the procurement process.

Question 10

If a firm wants to know why valuable employees are leaving the company, it will conduct ____________.

Accepted Answer

Exit interviews are conducted to gather feedback from employees who are leaving the company voluntarily. This feedback can help the company understand why valuable employees are leaving and identify areas for improvement in order to retain future talent. Performance appraisals, job inventories, and job simulations are not specifically designed to gather information about employee turnover.

Question 11

Walmart stores in northern Illinois have gone to a ___________, where management works four 10-hour days, and has four days off.

Accepted Answer

The description fits the concept of a compressed work week, where employees work longer hours for fewer days in a week. The other options, such as flextime, job rotation, and constrained work week, do not match the given description.

Question 12

In a _____________ arrangement two part-time employees fill one full-time job.

Accepted Answer

Job sharing refers to a situation where two or more part-time employees share the responsibilities of one full-time job. This allows for greater flexibility for the employees and can be beneficial for the employer as it provides coverage for the job throughout the entire work week.

Question 13

Companies are utilizing home-based workers as ________, shifting away from the expense of maintaining in-house operators or less qualified offshore operators.

Accepted Answer

Home-based workers are mainly utilized as call agents because they can handle customer service inquiries, technical support, telemarketing, and sales from their homes, which reduces the overhead costs of maintaining in-house call centers or offshore operators. While home-based workers can also be staff positions such as attorneys or multitaskers, these positions require more specialized skills and may not be as readily available for remote work. Receptionists, on the other hand, are typically located on-site and are responsible for administrative duties that require physical presence, such as greeting visitors and answering phone calls.

Question 14

At a large law firm, Gina works daily as a secretary from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., when she is replaced by Cassie who works from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. The arrangement Gina and Cassie have at the law firm is known as:

Accepted Answer

Gina and Cassie have a job sharing arrangement, where they split the hours of one full-time position. They each work part-time and share the responsibilities of the job.

Question 15

A major characteristic of a compressed workweek is that:

Accepted Answer

In a compressed workweek, employees work fewer days each week, but work more hours each workday. This allows for a longer consecutive period of time off, which can improve work-life balance and reduce commuting costs for employees. However, the total number of hours worked over the course of a week remains the same, so workers are still compensated for their full-time position.

Question 16

A(n) __________ is a financial incentive a firm offers to encourage employees to accept an early retirement offer.

Accepted Answer

A golden handshake is a financial incentive offered by a company to encourage employees to accept an early retirement offer. It usually includes a large lump sum payment and may include additional benefits such as healthcare coverage.

Question 17

Humphrey Communications uses a flextime plan; however, all employees must be on the job from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. These hours are referred to as the:

Accepted Answer

These specific hours that all employees must be on the job are referred to as "core time," which is a common term used in flextime plans.

Question 18

Two advantages of using ___________ to fill open positions are: (1) it improves the morale of current employees, and (2) the person filling the position is already familiar with the organization's culture and procedures.

Accepted Answer

Promotions from within have the advantages of improving morale among current employees as they feel valued, and the promoted employee is already familiar with the organization's culture and procedures which can lead to a smoother transition into the new position.

Question 19

At Friendly Financial Consulting, employees are allowed to choose what time they start each work day, as long as they arrive between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. They must be on the job from 10:00 a.m. until noon and from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. They are required to work a total of 8 hours each day, so the earlier they arrive, the earlier they can leave. This is a ___________ system.

Accepted Answer

The described system is flextime, which allows employees to choose their own starting and ending times within certain parameters while still working a full day. None of the other options fit this description.

Question 20

One implication of today's flatter corporate structures is that:

Accepted Answer

Flatter corporate structures mean fewer hierarchical levels, which can limit opportunities for traditional vertical promotions. Instead, lateral transfers become more common as employees seek to gain new skills and experiences.

Quiz 11: Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees