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Human Resource
Q:
Which of the following topics would LEAST likely be addressed in an employee handbook?
A) Drug-testing procedures
B) Family leave policies
C) Safety rules
D) Pay ranges
Q:
Betty wants to understand the company's family leave policy prior to requesting leave from her supervisor. Betty's first source for information should most likely be the:
A) employee relations representative.
B) employee handbook.
C) company newsletter.
D) company bulletin board.
Q:
The most important source of information that HR can provide employees is:
A) audiovisuals, due to the decreasing literacy rate.
B) electronic communications, thereby permitting interaction.
C) memos, so employees have reference copies of what has been communicated.
D) the employee handbook, which outlines the company's entire employee relations philosophy.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT an information dissemination tool?
A) Audiovisual communication
B) Electronic communications
C) Employee retreats
D) Employee relations
Q:
Which of the following terms refers to an employee who transforms information into a product or service at a firm?
A) Knowledge worker
B) Assembly specialist
C) HR manager
D) Line personnel
Q:
The process of providing information to decision makers wherever they are is called:
A) lateral communication.
B) communication feedback.
C) information dissemination.
D) upward communication.
Q:
Why are employee relations important to a firm? How do communication channels affect employee relations? What types of programs are available to organizations that want to facilitate employee communications?
Q:
________ is the process of making information available to decision makers, wherever they are located.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a worker who transforms information into a product or service.
Q:
With the shift from manufacturing to technology, communication is less important than technical skills for organizational success.
Q:
The most effective and useful feedback that managers can provide employees is highly personal and focused on specific behaviors.
Q:
If a message is misunderstood by a receiver due to a misinterpretation of the sender's motives, this misunderstanding stems from "noise."
Q:
Feedback in the communications model is the means to clarify the message.
Q:
In the communications process, communication begins with a sender.
Q:
In order to express feelings most effectively, face-to-face communication is a necessity because of nonverbal messages.
Q:
Additional Case 13.2
Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised.
One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits.
Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook.
Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system.
One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey.
Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which term best describes the type of communication that occurred at the meeting between Starline managers?
A) Information dissemination
B) Upward communication
C) Downward communication
D) Two-way communication
Q:
Presently, the U.S. economy is shifting from a(n) ________ to a ________ base.
A) information / industrial
B) agricultural / information
C) industrial / information
D) technological / industrial
Q:
________ communication allows employees at lower levels to communicate their ideas and feelings to higher-level decision makers.
A) Downward
B) Lateral
C) Two-way
D) Upward
Q:
________ communication allows managers to influence employees and to implement decisions they have made.
A) Downward
B) Lateral
C) Two-way
D) Upward
Q:
Jana and her student Julie are discussing revisions that Julie needs to consider for her composition's next draft. Jana will ask a question and then Julie will respond, and perhaps ask a question of her own. The two discuss the paper for nearly 25 minutes, talking back and forth about good aspects of the paper and areas that could be improved. This conversation is an example of:
A) one-way communication.
B) two-way communication.
C) downward communication.
D) upward communication.
Q:
Georgio is planning on providing feedback to employees based upon a recent general job assessment. Which of the following would be LEAST effective during the feedback session?
A) Focusing on specific employee behaviors
B) Providing feedback immediately and privately
C) Making the feedback personal and evaluative
D) Focusing negative feedback on controllable behaviors
Q:
A manager is explaining a project to his staff. The employees ask questions about the details of the project, and they request a delivery date change. The manager agrees to the new deadline. This meeting is most likely an example of:
A) downward communication.
B) upward communication.
C) two-way communication.
D) lateral communication.
Q:
Travis has been showing Shay the basics of C++ computer programming. Shay knows very little about programming and does not understand most of what Travis says. Travis uses terms and concepts that are unfamiliar to Shay. Shay's difficulty in decoding the message most likely comes from:
A) noise.
B) incorrect facts.
C) inadequate feedback.
D) poor employee relations.
Q:
To ensure accurate understanding of a message, the receiver should:
A) accurately encode the message.
B) compensate for noise.
C) choose the best channel.
D) provide feedback to the sender.
Q:
Reed is sending an e-mail message to Chandra in HR about a new hire he is considering. The e-mail message is the ________ component of the communication process.
A) encoding
B) channel
C) feedback
D) noise
Q:
Paying attention to the feelings content of the employee communications process is especially important when a company is:
A) downsizing.
B) growing.
C) stable.
D) hiring.
Q:
Florence plans to ask her employees their feeling about working overtime during the next Christmas season. The best communication channel for this discussion would be:
A) teleconferencing.
B) face-to-face communication.
C) downward communication.
D) an official memo.
Q:
A group of employees are discussing a notice on the bulletin board. "This is great! They finally recognize our need for childcare here. Boy, will this make life easier." For the employees, this is an example of:
A) factual communication.
B) communication of feelings.
C) upward communication.
D) noise.
Q:
Which of the following would most likely improve the success of an employee relations program at a large corporation?
A) Multiple communication channels
B) A single, centralized communication network
C) Official e-mail correspondence from HR
D) Limited group communication gatherings
Q:
A revised version of the employee relations policy at Hewit Marketing has been distributed to employees. Which of the following would most likely appear in this document?
A) The number of overtime hours an employee may work per week
B) Procedures for reporting harassment in the workplace
C) The past and present demographics of the work force
D) Explanations of how job appraisals are performed
Q:
A policy designed to communicate management's thinking and practices concerning employee-related matters and prevent problems in the workplace from becoming serious is referred to as a(n) ________.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a member of the HR department who ensures that company policies are followed and consults with both supervisors and employees on specific employee relations problems.
Q:
The primary purpose of employee relations is to minimize union grievance procedures.
Q:
Which of the following is LEAST likely the responsibility of a firm's employee relations representative?
A) Advising supervisors and employees on specific employee relations problems
B) Balancing the interests of managers, employees, and the firm
C) Maintaining total quality management practices
D) Developing new fairness policies
Q:
Effective employee relations is primarily built upon:
A) the training and development of managers.
B) compliance with relevant employment laws.
C) downward communication channels in the organization.
D) cooperation between managers and employee relations representatives.
Q:
For a company to have good employee relations, it should most likely:
A) choose an above-the-market compensation strategy.
B) practice empowerment in conjunction with TQM.
C) treat all employees fairly and consistently.
D) maximize stockholder wealth.
Q:
Discuss the three forms of flexible benefits plans and the challenges involved in implementing any flexible benefits plan.
Q:
What are the three areas that an employer needs to consider when establishing a benefits plan? How can HR use technology to ensure that employees clearly understand an employer's benefits plan?
Q:
A modular benefits plan allows employees to select different bundles of benefits or different levels of benefits.
Q:
Which of the following is the LEAST innovative and effective method of employee benefits communication?
A) On designated Web
B) Through computer software
C) During new employee orientation
D) Through audio-visual presentations
Q:
As an HR manager, you would most likely face all of the following challenges when handling flexible benefits plans EXCEPT:
A) intense use of a benefit by employees that increases costs.
B) inadequate government guidelines and rules.
C) significant complexity of administration.
D) high potential for recordkeeping errors.
Q:
A ________ provides employees with minimal economic security and the ability to "purchase" additional benefits of value to them.
A) core-plus option plan
B) modular plan
C) flexible spending account
D) health savings account
Q:
Which term refers to individual employee accounts funded by the employer, the employee, or both based on rules specified in Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code?
A) Core-plus option plan
B) Modular plan
C) Flexible spending account
D) Health savings account
Q:
Companies use flexible benefits programs in order to:
A) simplify benefits administration.
B) give employees options to select the benefits most meaningful to them.
C) motivate employees to higher productivity and quality by rewarding performance.
D) give management options in selecting benefits to offer employees, which lowers the cost of the benefits program.
Q:
What are the primary forms of paid time off available to most employees? How can a firm's HR department contain the costs associated with paid time off?
Q:
What is ERISA? What is the difference between a defined benefits plan and a defined contribution plan?
Q:
A(n) ________ is a retirement plan in which the employer promises to contribute a specific amount of funds into the plan for each participant.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a retirement plan that promises to pay a fixed dollar amount of retirement income based on a formula that takes into account the average of the employee's last 3-5 years' earnings prior to retirement.
Q:
The government agency that provides plan termination insurance to employers with defined benefit retirement programs is referred to as the ________.
Q:
________ is a guarantee that accrued retirement benefits will be given to retirement plan participants when they retire or leave the employer.
Q:
The ________ is a federal law established in 1974 to protect employees' retirement benefits from mismanagement.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a health-care plan in which an employer or insurance company establishes a network of doctors and hospitals to provide a broad set of medical services for a flat fee per participant.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a health-care plan that provides comprehensive medical services for employees and their families at a flat annual fee.
Q:
A federal law that protects an employee's ability to transfer between health insurance plans without a gap in coverage due to a preexisting condition is ________.
Q:
________ is legislation that gives employees the right to continue their health insurance coverage for 18 to 36 months after their employment has terminated.
Q:
Backup care is an employee benefit intended to meet the needs of employees who care for either elder family members or children.
Q:
The United States provides the fewest vacation days of any country in the world.
Q:
Typically, long-term disability compensation replaces about 40-50% of employees' income after they have been disabled for at least three months.
Q:
A profit-sharing Keogh plan allows employers to make contributions to a retirement plan based on company performance.
Q:
A 401(k) is a tax-deferred individual contributor retirement plan.
Q:
Defined benefits plans promise a fixed dollar amount to employees upon their retirement.
Q:
Vesting of a retirement plan means that the employee can take the retirement plan with them if they leave the employer.
Q:
Social Security normally replaces about 80% of an individual's current earnings upon retirement.
Q:
High-deductible health plans lower employer health-care costs and employees' premiums.
Q:
The expansion of health-care coverage to employees' non-married partners has become a common practice in the United States.
Q:
An HMO is a health-care plan that establishes a network of doctors who provide a broad range of services for a set fee, providing the advantages of managed care and the flexibility of traditional insurance.
Q:
Under HIPAA, an employee can transfer between health insurance plans without a gap in coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
Q:
COBRA requires employers to permit departing employees to continue their health insurance for up to 3 years at the employees' expense.
Q:
Additional Case 12.2
Tri-State Shipping employs 45 workers. They ship commodities across the country. Until recently, they had only legally required benefits, but business has become very profitable and they can now offer their employees more benefits.
The average age of their employees is 50. Most employees have been there for more than 20 years, and the company prides itself on keeping workers. The majority of the jobs require heavy lifting or the operation of heavy equipment for loading and unloading trucks, trains, etc. Their workers' compensation tax has been running about 5% per year. They are in one of the lowest workers' compensation tax rate states, but TSS has had a lot of injuries. The lifting required and type of equipment used tends to result in a lot of sprained backs, mashed fingers, or bruised muscles. When workers are injured, they tend to heal quickly and return to work quickly.
Despite its reputation for keeping workers, the dock supervisor recently fired a 21-year old employee who had been with TSS for 12 months. Even though everyone liked him, the young man just couldn't learn his job.
Refer to Additional Case 12.2. Given Tri-State Shipping's workforce and the company's culture, which of the following benefits would most likely support its culture?
A) Sabbatical leave
B) Health savings accounts
C) Severance pay
D) Preretirement counseling
Q:
Additional Case 12.1
The HR Director of The Camera Center is leading the executive team through a review of the company's benefits plan. He begins by explaining how the firm funds the benefits plan. After a few questions on that matter, he moves on to clarify what they must offer by law and what benefits the firm would like to provide.
A highly entrepreneurial, performance-driven company, The Camera Center provides an excellent profit-sharing plan and one of the best retirement packages in the industry. The firm commits a high portion of compensation funds to the benefits plan. The workforce tends to be college-educated, young professionals who are just starting their families.
The CEO wants the total benefits plan reviewed and repackaged, if necessary, to align it with The Camera Center's business culture and strategy. He also wants to contain costs as much as possible and simplify benefits
administration.
Refer to Additional Case 12.1. The HR Director suggests establishing a wellness pay incentive program at The Camera Center. Which of the following, if true, best supports this idea?
A) Employees frequently use sick days to handle personal business.
B) Many employees at the firm are nearing retirement age.
C) The firm needs additional tax advantages to offset benefits costs.
D) Cost containment at the firm is a significant issue.
Q:
Additional Case 12.1
The HR Director of The Camera Center is leading the executive team through a review of the company's benefits plan. He begins by explaining how the firm funds the benefits plan. After a few questions on that matter, he moves on to clarify what they must offer by law and what benefits the firm would like to provide.
A highly entrepreneurial, performance-driven company, The Camera Center provides an excellent profit-sharing plan and one of the best retirement packages in the industry. The firm commits a high portion of compensation funds to the benefits plan. The workforce tends to be college-educated, young professionals who are just starting their families.
The CEO wants the total benefits plan reviewed and repackaged, if necessary, to align it with The Camera Center's business culture and strategy. He also wants to contain costs as much as possible and simplify benefits
administration.
Refer to Additional Case 12.1. Which of the following changes would most likely support the firm's strategies and culture?
A) Offering sabbatical leave to new employees
B) Making contributions to employee SEPs
C) Subsidizing employee child-care costs
D) Implementing a flexible benefits program
Q:
About ________ of all employers offer some childcare benefits.
A) 7%
B) 10%
C) 15%
D) 20%
Q:
Which of the following is the most popular employee service?
A) On-site health services
B) Education subsidies
C) Emergency loans
D) Childcare
Q:
Childcare, health club memberships, and company credit unions are examples of:
A) employee services benefits.
B) benefits offered under the FMLA.
C) benefits offered under ERISA.
D) time off benefits.
Q:
Which of the following would most likely receive severance pay?
A) Barry, who was fired for theft
B) Carrie, who took maternity leave
C) David, who injured his back at work
D) Ellen, who lost her job during downsizing
Q:
Which of the following countries offers employees the most vacation days after one year of service?
A) Spain
B) France
C) United States
D) United Kingdom
Q:
U.S. employers offer an average of ________ sick leave days a year for full-time employees.
A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
Q:
Long-term disability insurance:
A) takes effect after unemployment insurance runs out.
B) begins after a disability of six months.
C) replaces 100% of an employee's income for up to six months.
D) supplements unemployment insurance payments.
Q:
Which of the following is a characteristic of most cash balance plans?
A) Cannot be converted from traditional pension plans
B) Ineffective at retaining younger employees
C) Higher retirement income than traditional pension plans
D) Time-consuming recordkeeping required
Q:
A(n) ________ allows employers to contribute to the employee's retirement plan on the basis of company performance.
A) individual retirement account
B) simplified employee pension plan
C) profit-sharing Keogh plan
D) defined contribution plan