Q&A Hero

Q: Employers are required to keep these safety records for ________ years. A) two B) three C) five D) seven E) ten

Q: If supervisors and their organizations do not bring a(n) ________ item into compliance with OSHA, they can be assessed a severe penalty. A) complaint B) oversight C) blue-flagged item D) safety violation E) red-flagged item

Q: A company that fails to keep its OSH Act records properly can also be subjected to stiff penalties, or under certain circumstances, ________ can be held criminally liable. A) employees B) safety committees C) company executives D) supervisors E) managers

Q: Should supervisors feel that an OSHA fine levied is unjust, or too harsh, the law prohibits the supervisor and the organization from filing an appeal.

Q: What are the implications for a supervisor of the potential for violence in the workplace: Explain what supervisors can do to prevent workplace violence.

Q: Human and environmental causes are important sources of work related accidents; in terms of numbers, the environmental factor is responsible for the majority of accidents.

Q: Office environments that contain harmful airborne chemicals, asbestos, or indoor pollution are called ________. A) sick buildings B) detrimental buildings C) harmful environments D) polluted areas E) chemical areas

Q: NIOSH reports that each year up to ________ American workers are victims of some form of workplace violence. A) 500,000 B) 750,000 C) 1 million D) 2 million E) 2.5 million

Q: The cause of most work-related accidents can generally be classified as ________. A) industrial or human B) human or environmental C) mental or emotional D) environmental or developmental E) physical or emotional

Q: The cost of accidents can be, and for many organizations is, a substantial additional cost of doing business. The ________ cost of an accident to an employer shows itself in the organization's workers' compensation premium. A) initial B) indirect C) final D) estimated E) direct

Q: Suggested ways for a supervisor to keep a work place healthy include which of the following? A) organize a cleaning crew B) ask for employee suggestions C) pay attention to workers' complaints D) ask for manager assistance E) set a good example

Q: A total ban on smoking should be viewed as a phased-in approach that includes all of the following steps EXCEPT ________. A) determine the organization's smoke-free goals B) determine smoke-free time tables C) designate special areas for smoking D) incentivize employees not to smoke E) offer occasional smoke-in-office days

Q: Explain how a supervisor can create a healthy work environment.

Q: Sealing vents in the work place is a way to make sure employees get enough fresh air.

Q: Ergonomics addresses two main areas: office ________ and office furniture. A) ambiance B) environment C) atmosphere D) behavior E) attitudes

Q: The process of fitting the work environment to the individual worker is called ________. A) efficiency B) economics C) accommodation D) ergonomics E) responsible action

Q: What condition is known to affect your wrist because of repetitive stress injuries? A) ergonomics B) carpal tunnel syndrome C) stress fracture D) tendonitis E) muscle disorder

Q: Discuss some techniques a supervisor might use for reducing stress among employees.

Q: ________, which account(s) for nearly 40 percent of annual workplace illnesses, result(s) in headaches, swollen feet, back pain, or nerve damage and cost(s) U.S. companies several billion dollars annually. A) Stress B) Ergonomic misalliance C) Smoke exposure D) Musculoskeletal disorders E) Emotional disorders

Q: Injuries sustained by continuous and repetitive movements of a body part are called ________. A) carpal tunnel syndrome B) movement syndrome C) skeletal disorders D) stress E) repetitive stress injuries

Q: A dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires, and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important is ________. A) distress B) cultural shock C) responsibility D) stress E) panic

Q: Stress is said to be ________ when the situation offers an opportunity for one to gain something. A) surprising B) helpful C) unexpected D) positive E) reassuring

Q: Constraints and demands can lead to potential stress. When they are coupled with uncertainty about the outcome and importance of the outcome, potential stress becomes ________. A) life threatening B) actual stress C) imagined stress D) distress E) eustress

Q: Factors that can cause stress in an individual are referred to as ________. A) unexpected B) stress relievers C) stressors D) stress commands E) stress tasks

Q: The Japanese term karoshi stands for the concept of ________. A) overwork B) work-related stress C) stress brought by boredom D) sudden death caused by overwork E) work conditions that cause stress

Q: ________ stress symptoms can be observed as increased tension and anxiety, boredom, and procrastination - which can all lead to productivity decreases. A) Psychological B) Emotional C) Behavioral D) Habitual E) Psychodynamic

Q: Identify and explain the steps necessary to implement an effective counseling program.

Q: Supervisors have the right and the obligation to make sure employees understand that if personal problems interfere with their work, they need to solve those personal problems.

Q: It's usually a good idea to end a counseling session with the employee summarizing what has taken place and with ________. A) agreement to meet in one week B) a written report summarizing the meeting C) the specific actions to be taken D) clarification of the alternatives E) identification of the problem

Q: The following are steps utilized in counseling employees EXCEPT ________. A) come to a resolution B) listen to what the employees has to say C) identify the problem D) clarify alternatives E) identify differences of opinion

Q: Describe what is meant by the term 360-degree appraisal.

Q: The ________ appraisal seeks performance feedback from such sources as oneself, bosses, peers, team members, customers, and suppliers and has become very popular in contemporary organizations. A) paired comparison B) group order ranking C) absolute standards D) 360-degree E) critical incidents

Q: What can a supervisor do to overcome barriers in order to implement effective appraisals?

Q: The halo error is a tendency to rate an individual high or low on all factors as a result of the impression of a high or low rating on some specific factor.

Q: It is suggested that supervisors include peer evaluations from team members in the performance appraisals of those whose jobs are inherently designed ________. A) to be independent from one another B) to be technically difficult C) to maximize employee interaction D) around teamwork E) to decrease both halo and leniency errors

Q: If your appraisal skills are deficient, there is evidence that you can become a more accurate rater by ________. A) knowing equal opportunity laws B) starting apprenticeship training C) participating in performance-appraisal training D) creating friends in your department E) becoming closer to your employees

Q: Supervisors can overcome barriers to effective performance appraisal by instituting the following EXCEPT ________. A) combining absolute and relative standards B) using multiple raters C) creating central tendency D) continually documenting employee performance E) using behaviorally-based measures

Q: When an evaluator recalls, and then gives greater importance to, employee job behaviors that have occurred near the end of the performance-measuring period, this results in ________. A) leniency error B) critical incidents C) recency error D) central tendency E) halo error

Q: When appraisers rate other people giving special consideration to those qualities that they perceive in themselves, they are making a ________ error. A) low leniency B) similarity C) halo D) central tendency E) graphic rating

Q: The tendency to rate an individual high or low on all factors due to the impression of a high or low rating on some specific factor is ________. A) behavioral rating B) central tendency error C) graphic rating D) halo error E) individual ranking

Q: When a supervisor overstates an employee's performance, a ________ occurs. A) rating bias B) positive leniency error C) critical incident D) halo error E) central tendency misjudgment

Q: Discuss the three approaches a supervisor might use for conducting performance appraisals.

Q: When using the group order ranking performance appraisal method, as the sample size increases, the validity of relative scores as an accurate measure decreases.

Q: With the written essay, a good or bad appraisal may be determined as much by the supervisor's writing style as by the employee's actual level of performance.

Q: The ________ method of performance appraisal allows for no ties, which can be advantageous because it does not allow supervisors to avoid confronting differences in performance levels. A) individual ranking B) relative standard C) graphic rating scale D) group order ranking E) behaviorally anchored

Q: The advantage of ________ is that it prevents a supervisor from inflating employee evaluations so that everyone looks good or equalizing the evaluations so that everyone is rated near the average. A) feedback B) documentation C) group ordering D) individual ranking E) behavioral description

Q: The ________ requires supervisors to place employees into particular classifications, such as "top one-fifth" or "second one-fifth." A) individual ranking method B) behaviorally anchored rating scale C) relative standard method D) graphic rating scale E) group order ranking method

Q: Behaviorally anchored rating scales specify ________ job behaviors. A) definite, observable, and measurable B) ambiguous, observable, and measurable C) definite, imperceptible, and measurable D) definite, observable, and detectable E) significant, perceptible, and detectable

Q: One of the oldest and most popular performance appraisal methods, the ________, is used to assess such factors as quantity and quality of work, job knowledge, cooperation, loyalty, dependability, etc. A) adjective rating scale B) group index ranking C) critical incident D) checklist E) factor comparison

Q: A major drawback to using the checklist method is the ________. A) similarity error B) central tendency error C) halo error D) cost E) time constraint

Q: A list of critical incidents cites specific behaviors not ________. A) quality of work B) quantity of work C) job knowledge D) dependability E) personality traits

Q: The simplest method of appraisal, writing a narrative describing an employee's strengths, weaknesses, past performance, potential, and suggestions for improvement, is the ________ performance appraisal method. A) faction comparison B) checklist C) critical incidents D) comparative standards E) written essay

Q: Experts agree that traits are inferior to both task outcomes and behaviors as appraisal criteria because traits refer to performance itself, not to potential predictions of performance.

Q: The more opportunities a supervisor has to observe an employee's behavior firsthand ________. A) the more the central tendency can be upgraded B) the less often critical incidents will be observed C) the more the halo error can be maximized D) the more accurate the appraisal is likely to be E) the more bias can be subjectively interpreted

Q: Rating people on the degree to which they are dependable, confident, aggressive, and loyal, is evaluating ________. A) standards B) behaviors C) outcomes D) traits E) motivation

Q: The three most popular sets of criteria that supervisors appraise are ________. A) individual temperament, punctuality, and thoroughness B) individual task outcomes, behaviors, and traits C) individual work record, punctuality, and excellence D) individual behavior, loyalty, and traits E) individual personality, task accomplishment, and attendance

Q: What are the legal issues that a supervisor should keep in mind concerning performance appraisals?

Q: The number of organizations that provide supervisory training in the mechanics of performance appraisal to minimize the likelihood that discrimination might occur in the process is decreasing.

Q: When considering a performance appraisal method, supervisors must keep in mind that the choice may be dictated, or at least limited, by ________. A) company tradition B) conscience C) the EEOC D) HR policies and procedures E) time available

Q: Appraisal criteria, methods, and documentation must be designed to ensure that they are ________. A) consistent with standing plans B) unilaterally prepared C) promoting the halo effect D) job related E) full of subjectivity

Q: Equal employment opportunity laws require that all human resource practices, including performance appraisals, be ________. A) reviewed by the EEOC B) justified C) procedural D) free of bias E) objective

Q: If the company you work for has a published handbook that describes performance appraisal procedures, the courts in most states consider it a(n) ________. A) discriminatory document B) standing plan C) employment-at-will contract D) implied contract-at-will E) binding contract

Q: Intrinsic feedback is provided to an employee by an outside source such as a management consultant.

Q: A supervisor may not need to provide employees with daily extrinsic performance feedback if their jobs are rich with intrinsic feedback.

Q: When using the ________ each employee is compared against every other employee an arduous task when assessing large numbers of employees. A) group order ranking method B) individual ranking method C) 360-degree appraisal D) graphic rating scale method E) paired comparison approach

Q: Which performance appraisal method compares employees against other employees in evaluating their performance? A) faction comparison B) individual ranking C) critical incidents D) adjective rating scale E) graphic rating scale

Q: Which performance appraisal method is considered expensive for organizations with many job categories? A) written report B) behaviorally anchored rating scales C) critical incidents D) checklist E) adjective rating scales

Q: An effective supervisor maintains ________ each employee in which actual incidents that affect job success or failure are recorded. A) video documentation of B) mental notes about C) an ongoing file for D) an occasional record for E) an annual record for

Q: The effective supervisor continually provides informal information to employees commenting on the ________ their work and pointing out problems when they surface. A) poor workmanship in B) positive aspects of C) need to improve peer relationships in D) unhappiness with employee's attention to E) sloppiness of

Q: How often should an informal performance appraisal be conducted? A) day to day B) at least once a year C) twice a year D) on the anniversary date of the employee E) once a month

Q: Some organizations have added self-evaluations and peer evaluations to supplement those performance appraisals made by supervisors.

Q: Supervisors use performance appraisal as a means for helping employees improve future performance.

Q: In some jobs, employees regularly get ________ on how well they are doing because feedback is built into the job. A) job analysis B) intrinsic feedback C) performance data D) re-engineering advice E) job evaluation

Q: By supplementing supervisory appraisals with peer evaluations, a supervisor can make the appraisal process ________. A) more biased B) more accurate C) more time-consuming D) less accurate E) less stressful

Q: Today, effective supervisors treat the performance appraisal as a(n) ________, as well as a formal legal document. A) reason to terminate B) evaluation and development tool C) justification for promotions D) determinant in pay adjustments E) disciplinary tool

Q: ________ is structured formal interaction between an employee and a supervisor that usually takes the form of a periodic interview in which the work performance of the employee is examined and discussed. A) Management by objective B) Performance appraisal C) Job evaluation D) Job description E) Graphic rating

Q: Teams provide the natural vehicle for employees to share ideas and ________. A) train co-workers B) be promoted C) implement improvements D) oversee change E) encourage performance

Q: Continuous improvement requires management to encourage employees to ________ and to act on what the employees suggest. A) share ideas B) participate in teams C) participate in training D) work in groups E) benchmark competitors

Q: What can a supervisor do to overcome obstacles that face teams and help them reach their full potential?

Q: Nothing undermines enthusiasm for the team concept as quickly as the frustration of being an involuntary member of a team that has no focus.