Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following is NOT a general responsibility of the HR manager? a. Employee supervision b. Strategic advice and counsel c. Policy formulation and implementation d. Employee advocacy

Q: As an employee advocate, HR managers: a. formulate and issue policy revisions for employees. b. listen to employees and represent their needs to management. c. provide individual orientation and training to every employee. d. assist employees with labor negotiations.

Q: _____ requires anunderstanding of an organization€s customers and economic and financial capabilitiesto help a firm achieve its strategic direction and adjust it as needed. a. Change mastery b. HR mastery c. Business mastery d. Personal credibility

Q: A firm€s top _____ manager is in a good position to be the chief ethics officer of the firm. a. HR b. finance c. production d. marketing

Q: Which of the following is false? a. Majority of employees have no children under 18. b. Family-friendly policies have no positive outcomes for firms. c. Flextime options are on the rise for employees. d. Family-friendly policies may include day care, part-time work, and job sharing.

Q: Family-friendly work options include all of the following EXCEPT: a. day care. b. spousal benefits. c. parental leave. d. job sharing.

Q: Employee rights include all of the following EXCEPT: a. company funded pension plan. b. equal employment opportunity. c. union representation. d. equal pay for equal work.

Q: Which of the following does NOTrepresent a cultural change emerging in organizations? a. An increased concern for privacy b. Changing attitudes toward work c. Balancing work and family demands d. Accommodating unemployed workers

Q: The use and disclosure of personal medical information is protected by the: a. Privacy Act of 1974. b. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. c. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. d. Public Health Service Act of 1944.

Q: Approximately _____ of mothers with school-age children are employed. a. 10 percent b. 30 percent c. 50 percent d. 70 percent

Q: Over the last few decades, the educational attainment of the U.S. labor force has: a. risen dramatically. b. fallen dramatically. c. remained at about the same level. d. had little influence on HRM.

Q: Older workers: a. operate more like free agents. b. prefer having younger supervisors. c. are more willing to work flexible hours. d. learn new behaviors more quickly because of their experience.

Q: In which of the following ways are labor force and its demographics expected to change? a. Minorities will make up a smaller share of the U.S. labor force than they did in the past. b. Women will make up a smaller share of the U.S. labor force than they did in the past. c. By 2050, the labor force participation rate will be only about 59 percent. d. The demand for temporary workers will triple by 2050.

Q: Managers are concerned that the expertise of employees will be rapidly drained from their companies because: a. recruitment of minorities is increasing. b. large portions of American workers are nearing retirement. c. older workers' are becoming more resistant to flexible work hour. d. older workers are increasing behaving like free agents.

Q: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about _____ of people over 55 now participate in the labor force. a. 15 percent b. 40 percent c. 55 percent d. 75 percent

Q: It is anticipated that in the future, the American workforce will exhibit: a. about the same demographic mix as it does today. b. an increase in ethnic diversity. c. a decrease in ethnic diversity. d. a decrease in the number of older workers.

Q: A method of containing costs that allows a professional employer organization (PEO), typically a larger company, to takeover the management of a smaller company's HR tasks and become a coemployer to its employeesis known as _____. a. outsourcing b. employee leasing c. furloughing d. nearshoring

Q: The business practice of sending jobs to other countries is referred to as: a. outplacement. b. offshoring. c. outsourcing. d. employee leasing.

Q: Hiring someone outside the company to perform tasks that could be done internally is known as: a. outplacement. b. contracting. c. outsourcing. d. employee leasing.

Q: Approximately _____ of the U.S. economy today is affected by international competition, including small companies. a. 25 to 40 percent b. 50 to 65 percent c. 70 to 85 percent d. 90 to 100 percent

Q: Which strategy refers to the planned elimination of jobs? a. Downsizing b. Outsourcing c. Nearshoring d. Reengineering

Q: Which of the following is one of the largest expenditures of service companies? a. Production costs b. Marketing costs c. Labor costs d. Distribution costs

Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of organizations that have been successful in engineering change? a. Linking the change to business strategy b. Engaging key employees early in the change process c. Investing in the implementation of change d. Engaging suppliers only after making changes

Q: The _____ paved the way for the formation of many major trade agreements and institutions. a. GeneralAgreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) b. International Monetary Fund (IMF) c. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) d. European Union (EU)

Q: The national identities of products are blurring due to the effect of: a. globalization. b. nearshoring. c. downsizing. d. furloughing.

Q: About _____ of what Americans produce every year dollar-wise is sold abroad. a. 50 percent b. 30 percent c. 10 percent d. 2 percent

Q: A survey conducted by the Human Resource Planning Society revealed that _____ percent of the responding companies believe that their HR group plays an important role in developing human capital. a. less than 30 b. nearly 50 c. between 30 and 40 d. nearly 65

Q: Managers have to find ways to empower employees and encourage their participation and involvement to more fully utilize human capital because: a. employees are required to cut down on administrative costs. b. firms are moving away from team-based structures. c. employee skills often go unused. d. managers want to avoid competing through people.

Q: Women who are employed full-time today make about _____ of what men employed full-time make. a. 50 percent b. 95 percent c. 79 percent d. 100 percent

Q: The knowledge, skills, and capabilities of individuals that have a tremendous impact on an organization's performance but do not show up directly on its balance sheet are known as: a. intellectual capital. b. human capital. c. core capital. d. employee capital.

Q: Millennials are also known as: a. baby boomers. b. Generation X. c. Generation Y. d. screenagers.

Q: _____ is the process of moving jobs closer to one€s home country. a. Nearshoring b. Outsourcing c. Homeshoring d. Furloughing

Q: _____ change is initiated by management to take advantage of targeted opportunities. a. Proactive b. Turnover c. Reactive d. Reflective

Q: Organizational changes are said to be _____ when external forces have already affected an organization's performance. a. proactive b. intentional c. reactive d. negative

Q: _____ is closely related to corporate social responsibility. a. Downsizing b. Furloughing c. Sustainability d. Offshoring

Q: The first step in choosing an HRIS is for the HR personnel to: a. evaluate the most time-consuming tasks. b. examine the user-friendliness of the software. c. calculate the cost savings in using an HRIS. d. calculate the time required to train the HR staff.

Q: Which of the following is NOTa primary impact that technology has had on human resources management (HRM)? a. It has altered the methods of collecting employment information. b. It has quickened the processing of employment data. c. It has diminished the role of supervisors in managing employees. d. It has improved the processes of internal and external communications.

Q: Which of the following is the largest employment agency in the United States? a. Snelling Personnel Services b. Kelly Services c. Manpower Inc. d. Labor Ready

Q: The _____ is the first major trade agreement of the twentieth centuryto establish rules and guidelines for global commerce. a. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) b. GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) c. FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) d. APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)

Q: Which of the following is NOT a competitive challenge within the Human Resources Management framework? a. Changes in the marketplace b. Globalization c. Technology d. Employee rights

Q: When employee leasing is used, a firm signs an agreement with a professional employer organization. a. True b. False

Q: HR managers can establish personal credibility by developing good relationships with people both internal and external to a firm. a. True b. False

Q: One of the roles of HR managers is to act as employee advocates despite their positions as managers. a. True b. False

Q: The HR policies are generally proposed by the senior executives of an organization to the HR managers, who actually issue them. a. True b. False

Q: An HR manager is typically expected to function as an in-house consultant to supervisors, managers, and executives. a. True b. False

Q: One of the responsibilities of HR managers is to provide advice and counsel to line managers. a. True b. False

Q: Family-friendly practices include offering flexible hours, telecommuting, and job sharing. a. True b. False

Q: Employees today are less likely to define success in terms of financial gain. a. True b. False

Q: Older workers are often willing to work flexible hours. a. True b. False

Q: By 2050, the percentage of Hispanics in the United States is expected to nearly triple, whilethe percentage of people of Asian descent is expected to significantly decrease. a. True b. False

Q: Women now account for slightly more than half of the American workforce. a. True b. False

Q: The U.S. Department of Educationhas found that less than half of all high school seniors in the U.S. are unable to handle basic math involving fractions, decimals, and simple algebra. a. True b. False

Q: Educational level is positively related to annual earnings. a. True b. False

Q: Older workers are generally undependable and operate like free agents. a. True b. False

Q: Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of an organization to act in the best interests of the people and communities affected by its activities. a. True b. False

Q: Outsourcing refers to employing workers in their homes rather than within the traditional office environment. a. True b. False

Q: Technology, transportation, communications, and utilities industries tend to spendthe least on training. a. True b. False

Q: Downsizing is often used by organizations for the planned elimination of jobs. a. True b. False

Q: Methods of reducing labor costs include downsizing, outsourcing, and employee leasing. a. True b. False

Q: Furloughing is a situation in which a firm asks an employee to take time off but the employee is still provided with full pay and benefits. a. True b. False

Q: Labor costs are always the smallest expenditures companies make, particularly in service-intensive firms. a. True b. False

Q: In absolute terms, the United States remains the world€s most productive nation, even when it comes to manufacturing. a. True b. False

Q: Human capital is intangible, but can still be managed the way organizations manage jobs, products, and technologies. a. True b. False

Q: Companies are increasingly rotating non-HR managers into HR positions and vice versa to give them exposure to different areas of the organization. a. True b. False

Q: Reactive changes are strategic changes initiated by managers in response to external forces that have already affected a company's performance. a. True b. False

Q: Human capital is owned by an organization and is part of its core competencies. a. True b. False

Q: A firm's ability to compete through people depends on its ability to manage human capital. a. True b. False

Q: The strategies companies are pursuing today increasingly involve one or more elements of globalization. a. True b. False

Q: To proactively manage change, organizations should wait to see how external forces impact an organization's performance, and then develop a plan to address those changes. a. True b. False

Q: A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) provides current and accurate data for control and decision-making by managers. a. True b. False

Q: Knowledge workers are employees whose responsibilities include only problem-solving. a. True b. False

Q: In general, many companies are realizing a diminished demand for touch labor and an increasing demand for knowledge work. a. True b. False

Q: Differences in employee preferences and needs based on life stage and life circumstances call for which of the following? A) comprehensive health insurance plans B) generous paid vacation allowances C) flexible benefits D) child care benefits

Q: Offering relevant employee benefits can lead to which of the following outcomes? A) higher return on investment B) overutilization of employee benefits C) lower workforce diversity D) lower hourly wage rates

Q: Which one of the following racial groups is expected to have the slowest labor force participation growth rate through the year 2022? A) mixed races B) Asian C) African American D) Caucasian

Q: Which benefit might part-time workers be less likely to need? A) life insurance B) day care C) health insurance D) paid vacation

Q: Since the 1970s, ________ has lagged behind labor productivity growth.

Q: Companies promote profits, in part, by holding down employees' ________.

Q: ________ is a situation in which a worker possesses more qualifications, skill, and education than is required by his/her existing job.

Q: ________ is a situation in which a worker is forced to work part-time due to economic situations although she/he is willing to work full-time.