business managment data bank

Meeting Present and Emerging Strategic Human Resource Challenges

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. As the director of HR, you are in a meeting with your corporate officers discussing the firm’s deliberate use of human resources to gain a competitive edge against your competitors in the marketplace. You are discussing:

a) your HR strategy for the company.

b) the general business environment in which your company must operate.

c) the tactics you plan to use in reaching corporate objectives.

d) the individual issues that are involved in creating your HR plan.

e) the legal environment in which your company operates.

2. Tony works in the finance department as an accounting clerk. He keeps a time card

and receives extra pay for any overtime he works. Tony is:

a) an exempt line employee.

b) a nonexempt staff employee.

c) an exempt staff employee.

d) a nonexempt line employee.

e) not in any of these categories.

3. An example of an individual challenge that HRM faces is:

a) ethical dilemmas and social responsibility.

b) competitive position.

c) downsizing’s impact on employees.

d) workforce diversity.

e) evolving family and work roles.

4. HRM faces a number of environmental challenges, including:

a) increasing organizational labor costs.

b) decentralization of decision making.

c) marketplace globalization.

d) the need to empower company employees.

e) self-managed work teams.

5. Due to the increasing work pace and burnout in the United States, more workers are

facing higher degrees of stress. According to your text, some companies have chosen

to:

a) provide employees with coaching/stress management courses.

b) resort to continual-hiring practices to replace workers.

c) encourage employees to take longer breaks during the work day.

d) do more work from home, in a family environment.

e) inform potential employees of this challenge during the interviewing process.

6. Which of the following is NOT true of the Internet Revolution as it relates to HRM?

a) U.S. corporate spending on Internet technology is increasing.

b) Companies now must pay particular attention to legal issues concerning

information passed over the Internet.

c) The percentage of firms using the Internet reached 80% in 2000.

d) Cross-cultural understanding is not as important, for the Internet is its own

community with its own culture.

e) It is a major factor in helping employees find employers and vice-versa through job finding sites.

7. RCA is working on a corporate identity that smoothes over cultural differences in order to increase cooperation within the firm. RCA is addressing the HRM challenge of:

a) globalization.

b) rapid change.

c) legislation.

d) competitive environment.

e) matching the individual to the job.

8. Kori and Joe are discussing their firm’s HRM strategies for dealing with a sexual

harassment suit. Their discussion exemplifies the HRM environmental challenge stemming from:

a) globalization.

b) workforce diversity.

c) legislation.

d) organizational culture.

e) matching people to the organization.

9. A dual-career family is one in which:

a) the major “bread-winner” works two jobs.

b) the wife is a homemaker and the husband works outside of the home.

c) the major “bread-winner” experiences a career change and takes a new job.

d) both husband and wife work.

e) both husband and wife own their own business.

10. In today’s labor market, companies that do not strive to be family-friendly are:

a) in violation of Federal EEO legislation.

b) wasting significant talent by losing women who cannot sacrifice their family lives for a career.

c) experiencing increasing nepotism at the top of their organizational structures.

d) less likely to suffer from key skill shortages.

e) demonstrating significant inflexibility in their staffing practices.

11. Growth in service sector employment is tied to:

a) advances in technology that eliminate manufacturing jobs.

b) the increasing number of women entering the workforce.

c) the decrease in immigration into the United States.

d) increasing efforts to match individuals to the correct jobs.

e) an overabundance of highly educated job candidates.

12. The need for skilled employees in the United States:

a) has intensified in the service sector, which has produced more jobs than

manufacturing.

b) has intensified in manufacturing, as the turnaround in the “rust belt” has resulted in

a 20% decease in jobs.

c) has decreased as the number of service, technical, and managerial jobs requiring a

college education has declined.

d) is easing as both private and government training programs’ funding has resulted

in a highly trained workforce.

e) has decreased due to increased immigration of highly educated information workers.

13. Employment in the service sector is expected to:

a) decrease 31% between 2008 and 2012.

b) increase 32% between 2008 and 2012.

c) decrease 52% between 2008 and 2012.

d) increase 52% between 2008 and 2012.

e) shift only 2-3% in either direction.

14. The fastest growing occupations in the United States:

a) require a college degree for most entry-level positions.

b) typically provide on-the-job training for new employees.

c) are in technical fields.

d) require two years of college training.

e) are related to the federal government.

15. The most important organizational issue that affects an organization’s competitive

advantage is:

a) its ability to control costs.

b) the expatriation of foreign managers.

c) the development of joint ventures and collaborations with foreign firms.

d) its use of technology.

e) its organizational structure.

16. The Imitation Products is considering how to specialize their product in order to create a niche for themselves and how much they should spend to improve the product while considering the cash flow increase that may come from product specialization. Imitation is discussing their:

a) decentralization strategies.

b) Total Quality Management (TQM).

c) competitive position.

d) human resource strategy.

e) organizational restructuring.

17. The three elements of a company’s competitive position include which of the following?

a) Its downsizing strategies.

b) Its ethical code of conduct and position on social responsibility.

c) Its creation of distinctive capabilities.

d) Self-managing work teams.

e) Coping with its external environment.

18. Transferring responsibility and decision-making authority from central office staff to the people closest to the situation that demands attention is an example of:

a) decentralization.

b) corporate restructuring.

c) the effect of the evolving nature of work roles.

d) downsizing.

e) outsourcing.

19. One potential pitfall of decentralizing a firm is:

a) the inflexibility that decentralizing a firm causes.

b) the few opportunities it leaves for employees to move up the company hierarchy.

c) more layers of management will need to be created, thereby slowing flow of

communication between authorities and local managers.

d) a decrease in clear communication between the firm authority and local employees

may lead to insecurity and a lack of focus within the firm.

e) dissatisfaction among employees who want more responsibility and decision-making authority.

20. The current trend to downsize results in:

a) higher commitment levels among employees as they try to perform in such a way as to prevent being laid off.

b) an increased poor performance stigma for those laid off.

c) significantly decreased HRM costs due to outplacement and unemployment claims.

d) increased social problems for local governments and companies to deal with.

e) increased diversity among the workforce and those firms dealing with layoffs.

21. Organizational restructuring over the past two decades has led to:

a) hybrid organizations with diverse histories and workforces.

b) fewer job opportunities for women and minorities.

c) more managers and fewer laborers as automation eliminates lower-level jobs.

d) more megacorporations with multiple layers of management.

e) greater entrepreneurship.

22. Tammy has a small jam-and-jelly business and has joined up with Hillside Farm to produce “Hillside Farm Preserves.” This type of partnership is called:

a) co-laboring.

b) a joint venture.

c) cooperative marketing.

d) a business cooperative.

e) downsizing.

23. In 2000, mergers and acquisitions will have reached a new peak of:

a) $100 billion.

b) $150 billion.

c) $1 trillion.

d) $1.5 trillion.

e) $2 trillion.

24. Self-managed work teams are:

a) an uncommon method of managing a small business.

b) a system of management in which employees must report directly to superiors in

order to ensure productivity.

c) very costly to the companies who must pay benefits to team members.

d) groups of peers in a company setting who take responsibility for a particular area or task.

e) a positive contribution to large corporations who are worried about being too “top

heavy.”

25. The contributions self-managed work teams can offer a large firm are:

a) often minimal.

b) not very well researched.

c) generally very positive.

d) apt to decline as companies become more decentralized.

e) never significant enough to warrant a change in most businesses.