Chapter 6 – Staffing and Human Resource Management
Chapter Six: Staffing and Human Resource Management
True/False
1. Human Resource Management activities and functions such as staffing, attracting and developing an effective workforce are the sole responsibility of the HR department.
(False; Moderate; p. 192)
2. Human Resources management must be accomplished with the dynamic framework of changing government legislation and regulations that address hiring practices, workplace safety, labor relations and working conditions
(True; Moderate; pp.192-193)
3. Federal law requires that employers pay their share of unemployment insurance and workers compensation for employees on their payroll even if they work less than 40 hours per week.
(True; Moderate; p. 211)
4. As a result of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, employers are required to seek out and hire minorities to compensate for past discrimination
(False; Challenging; p. 194; Ex. 6-2)
5. Strategic Human Resources Planning is the process used to ensure that HR is aligned with and supports the accomplishment of the firm’s mission, strategies and objectives.
(True; Easy; p. 192)
6. Recruitment is a set of activities directed toward attracting a qualified pool of job applicants for evaluation by an organization.
(True; Easy; p.197)
7. The selection process involves interviewing and choosing the most qualified candidates from a pool of job applicants.
(True; Easy; p. 198)
8. The process by which managers decide on the relative qualifications of job applicants for a particular job opening is known as the recruitment process.
(False; Moderate; p. 198)
9. A selection device is valid if it yields the same results over time if taken by the same person.
(False; Easy; pp. 199-200)
10. Realistic job previews are used to "sell" the firm to job candidates by focusing on the benefits and positive aspects of the job to potential candidates.
(False; Moderate; p. 203)
11. The realistic job preview can cost the time and effort of selection because it gives candidates a chance to decide if the job is right for them regardless of their skills or qualifications.
(True; Moderate; p. 203)
12. Most training focuses on teaching people the skills that they will need to be effective in their future jobs.
(False; Moderate; p. 205)
13. Training is a set of activities that provide learning opportunities that build and improve skills to do the job for which they were hired.
(True; Easy; p. 205)
14. Training activities tend to take place at the higher levels of the organization, while development activities usually take place at the lower levels of management of the organization.
(False; Moderate; p. 205)
15. Graphic rating scales, behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS), the critical-incident technique, multi-rater comparisons, and 360º feedback are methods of appraising performance.
(True; Moderate; p. 207)
16. In performance appraisal both objective and judgmental methods are equally effective. (False; Easy; p. 207)
17. Performance ranking allows the supervisors to compare their employees to a fixed standard rather than to other employees.
(False; Moderate; p. 208)
18. A fundamental rule of thumb in establishing base compensation is to pay new employees substantially more than what competitors in the labor market are paying.
(False; Challenging; p. 211)
19. Employers are required to provide workers' compensation benefits to their employees, but not unemployment insurance.
(False; Moderate; p. 211)
20. Workforce diversity improves problem solving and brings a range of talents, perspectives, experiences, and worldviews that broaden an organization's repertoire of skills and capabilities.
(True; Moderate; p. 212)
21. Sexual harassment occurs when people of either sex experience inappropriate behavior, conduct or language of a sexual nature that affects their employment situation.
(True; Easy; pp. 212-213)
22. Labor unions negotiate contracts specifying the rights and obligations of employees and management with respect to wages, work hours, grievances, and other aspects or conditions of employment.
(True; Moderate; p. 214)
23. The employment process is dramatically influenced by the external environment.
(True; Moderate; p. 192)
24. Since the mid-1960s, the federal government has continually reduced its influence over human resource management decisions.
(False; Moderate; p. 193)
25. Employment decisions must be made without regard to age, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.
(True; Moderate; p. 193)
26. The Equal Pay Act prohibits pay differences for equal work based on race.
(False; Moderate; p. 194; Ex. 6-2)
27. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals who have physical or mental disabilities.
(True; Easy; p. 194; Ex. 6-2)
28. In affirmative action, organizations actively seek to enhance the status of individuals who are members of protected groups.
(True; Challenging; p. 194)
29. Management is not completely free to choose whom they hire, promote, or fire.
(True; Easy; p. 194)
30. Whereas the job analysis tells management what individual employees can do, the human resource inventory is a lengthy process in which workflows are analyzed and behaviors necessary to perform jobs are identified.
(False; Challenging; p. 196)
31. The job description states the minimum acceptable qualifications that an incumbent must possess to perform a given job successfully.
(False; Moderate; p. 196)
32. Demand for human resources is a result of demand for the products or services provided by the organization.
(True; Moderate; p. 196)
33. Reducing the labor supply within the organization includes downsizing and layoff activities.
(True; Easy; p. 198)
34. One of the major benefits of using internal searches for job candidates is that it builds employee morale.
(True; Easy; p. 198; Ex. 6-3)
35. A drawback of employee referrals is that they may not increase the diversity and mix of employees.
(True; Moderate; p. 198; Ex. 6-3)
36. Attrition is one of the downsizing options available to organizations and may be preferable to firing or layoffs.
(True; Moderate; p. 198; Ex. 6-4)
37. The major point of any selection activity is to reduce the probability of making a reject error or an accept error.
(True; Challenging; p. 199)
38. A selection device is reliable if there is a proven relationship between the selection device and some relevant measure.
(False; Challenging; p. 199)
39. The burden lies with management to verify that any selection device it uses to differentiate applicants is related to job performance.
(True; Challenging; p. 200)
40. Stress interviewers deliberately lead applicants into a false sense of security—the comfortable interaction—then suddenly and drastically, they change and go on the attack.
(True; Moderate; p. 203)
41. Applicants who have been given a realistic job preview tend to hold lower job expectations than those who have not.
(True; Challenging; p. 203)
42. One major objective of orientation is to give an employee a realistic job preview.
(False; Moderate; p. 204)
43. Most job training takes place in the classroom.
(False; Moderate; p. 205)
44. Vestibule training is an example of on-the-job training.
(False; Easy; p. 206; Ex. 6-7)
45. The reactions of participants are the most valid way to assess the effectiveness of training.
(False; Moderate; p. 206)
46. A performance management system is a process of establishing performance standards and evaluating performance in order to arrive at objective human resource decisions and to provide documentation to support any personnel actions.
(True; Moderate; p. 207)
47. Performance evaluation by use of critical incidents focuses the evaluator on key behaviors that separate effective from ineffective job performance.
(True; Easy; p. 207)
48. BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale) combines major elements from the critical incident and graphic rating scale approaches to evaluating performance.
(True; Challenging; p. 207)
49. The paired comparison approach to performance evaluation requires the evaluator to place employees into a particular classification, such as "top one-fourth."
(False; Moderate; p. 208)
50. Fairness in compensation systems means that the established pay levels are adequate and consistent for the demands and requirements of the job.
(True; Easy; p. 211)
51. Life, health, and disability insurance are all examples of employee benefits—nonfinancial rewards designed to enrich employees' lives.
(True; Easy; p. 211)
52. Workforce diversity is affecting the way employees are recruited, selected, and oriented.
(True; Moderate; p. 212)
53. Sexual harassment is regarded as specific unwanted activity of a sexual nature as defined by each organization.
(False; Moderate; p. 213)
54. Much of the problem associated with sexual harassment is determining what constitutes this illegal behavior.
(True; Easy; p. 213)
55. If an employee who is guilty of sexual harassment is a manager or agent for an organization, the organization is liable for sexual harassment.
(True; Moderate; p. 213)
56. Sexual harassment policies should be reinforced by regular discussions with all employees.
(True; Moderate; p. 213)
57. The key theme that labor laws appear to be conveying is where employee involvement programs are introduced, members must have the power to make decisions and act independently of management.
(True; Challenging; p. 215)
58. The layoff-survivor sickness syndrome has leveled off in the US and is not as significant as it was just a few years ago.
(False; Easy; pp. 216-217)
Multiple Choice Questions
59. In the United States, human resource management practices are affected by various laws that do all of the following except
a. Prohibit pay differences for men and women doing equal work.
b. Establish mandatory safety and health standards in workplaces.
c. Prohibit discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability.
d. Encourage and promote mandatory retirement.
(d; Moderate; p. 194; Ex 6-2)
60. ______is the orderly study of jobs to determine what is done, when, where, how, why, and by whom in existing jobs or potential new jobs.
a. Job analysis
b. Job description
c. Job specification
d. Job audit
(a; Easy; p.196)
61. ______is a written statement the duties and responsibilities of a job.
a. Job analysis
b. Job specification
c. Job description
d. Job inventory chart
(c; Easy; p.196)
62. ______is the process used by organizations to attract a qualified pool of job applicants.
a. Socialization
b. Recruitment
c. Human resource planning
d. Affirmation action
(b; Moderate; p.197)
63. Using realistic job previews reflects the important recruitment issues of
a. who to interview and when to interview.
b. reliability and validity.
c. choosing selection devices and measurement methods.
d. honesty and full information.
(d, Moderate; p.203)
64. ______is a recruitment approach that tries to provide the job candidates with all pertinent information about the job and the organization without distortion or selling the job to the candidate.
a. Open job preview
b. Traditional job preview
c. Realistic job preview
d. Holistic job preview
(c, Moderate; p.203)
65. A major benefit of using realistic job previews is to
a. reduce turnover.
b. reduce salaries and wages.
c. decrease training costs.
d. reduce time it takes to get qualified applicants.
(a; Easy; p.203)
66. Which of the following is a legitimate reason for rejecting a job applicant in the selection process?
a. Applicant has deficient qualifications.
b. Applicant has insufficient ability, ambition, or poor interpersonal qualities.
c. Applicant's overall potential is low.
d. All of the above.
(d; Easy; pp.196 and 202)
67. For a selection device to be valid it must
a. yield approximately the same results over time if taken by the same person.
b. be passed by at least 75 percent of all applicants.
c. yield a demonstrated relationship between a person's score or rating and their
eventual job performance.
d. be sanctioned by the EEOC.
(c; Moderate; p.200)
68. A reliable selection device
a. measures exactly what it intends to, relative to the job specification.
b. can be passed by most of the job applicants.
c. is administered by a qualified personnel specialist.
d. yields the same results over time if taken by the same person.
(d; Easy; p.199)
69. To be used for employment, a selection device should
a. be valid but not necessarily reliable.
b. be reliable but not necessarily valid.
c. be both reliable and valid.
d. be used only by highly trained professionals.
(c; Moderate; pp.199-200)
70. An employment test that is used to evaluate a person's job potential by observing his or her performance in exercises that simulate daily work activities is called ______.
a. modeling
b. mentoring
c. orientation
d. an assessment center
(d, Moderate; p.201)
71. ______is a set of planned activities designed offered by the organization to familiarize new employees with their jobs, their co-workers, and key aspects of the organization.
a. Socialization
b. Orientation
c. Modeling
d. Mentoring
(b; Easy; p.204)
72. ______is a training process that offers opportunities for employees to spend time in different jobs and expand their range of skills.
a. Coaching
b. An apprenticeship
c. Job rotation
d. Modeling
(c; Moderate; p.206)
73. ______is the process of formally assessing someone's work job accomplishments and providing feedback.
a. Discipline management
b. Management by objectives
c. An informal review
d. Performance appraisal
(d; Moderate; p. 207)
74. A performance appraisal method that provides rating scales for actual behaviors that exemplify various performance levels is known as ______.
a. 360º feedback
b. the critical-incident technique
c. multiperson comparisons
d. behaviorally anchored rating scales
(d; Moderate; p. 207)
75. ______is an appraisal method that involves superiors, subordinates, peers, and even internal and external customers in the evaluation process.
a. Critical-incident technique
b. Multiperson comparisons method
c. Graphic rating scales method
d. 360º feedback method.
(d, Moderate; p. 207)
76. A customer service sales manager for a Dell Computers evaluates each one of his staff monthly on the basis of the number of customer problems or complaints that have been resolved during the past month. This is an example of
a. a subjective appraisal.
b. situational testing.
c. personality testing.
d. a perfomance appraisal.
(d; Easy; pp. 206-207)
77. In the U.S., which of the following laws requires male and female employees to be paid equally if they perform the same type of jobs and/or do the same work?