Q&A Hero

Q: A vehicle manufacturing company decides to hire 35 employees for its new servicing branch located in Louisiana. A total of 90 eligible applicants apply for the job, of which 40 are black and 50 are white. Assuming that the company decides to hire 10 blacks and 25 whites, what can be inferred using the four-fifths rule? A) 0.5 < 0.8; this indicates that there is no evidence of discrimination. B) 2 > 0.8; this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination. C) The hiring rate for blacks is equal to four-fifths the hiring rate of whites; hence, there is no evidence of discrimination. D) 0.5 < 0.8; this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination. E) 2 > 0.8; this indicates that there is no evidence of discrimination.

Q: Select the case that would most likely be filed under disparate impact. A) Zeke is not permitted to train on a new manufacturing machine because he has not yet completed his company's mandatory workplace safety training course. B) Betty's coworker, Ruth, is up for a promotion. Both were hired at the same time for the same entry-level accounting positions, and both have the same level of education. However, Ruth consistently seeks to take on additional responsibilities, while Betty barely turns her own work in on time. C) Charmaine wants to be part of her local police force. Both men and women are encouraged to apply, but Charmaine discovers the force has a minimum height requirement of 5'10''. She is 5'6''. D) George is reviewing applications for an open position at his company. One step in the hiring process requires him to investigate conviction records for all of the job applicants. E) Heidi, an HR employee at a university, is putting together a job listing for an open faculty position. Her listing specifies that interested applicants must have a doctoral degree.

Q: Which statement is true of a bona fide occupational qualification? A) It is considered illegal by a court. B) It is a necessary qualification for a job. C) It is strictly prohibited by organizations. D) It is a preferred qualification for the job. E) It is used to deem disparate treatment illegal.

Q: Identify the case in which disparate treatment is considered legal. A) In a particular retail outlet, male workers are employed to handle the sales. B) In an electrical company, male workers are exclusively employed to work as electricians. C) In a vehicle manufacturing company, male workers are exclusively employed in all departments. D) In a certain shopping mall, female workers are exclusively employed to clean the women's restroom. E) In a particular hospital, only female nurses are appointed.

Q: Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as A) sexual discrimination. B) affirmative action. C) disparate treatment. D) reasonable accommodation. E) reverse discrimination.

Q: According to the affirmative-action plan required by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, ________ refer(s) to a plan identifying the ways in which an organization will meet its diversity goals. A) action steps B) utilization analysis C) diversification D) affirmative action E) disparate impact

Q: According to the affirmative-action plan required by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which term refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of an employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply? A) content analysis B) job analysis C) SWOT analysis D) utilization analysis E) applied behavior analysis

Q: Peggy, a Hispanic female in the accounting department of a large retail chain, believes she has been the victim of race and sex discrimination. Why can't she turn to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) for assistance with this problem? A) The injury to Peggy is under the $50,000 threshold. B) The OFCCP protection does not cover sex discrimination. C) Her employer doesn't have contracts with the federal government. D) A retail chain would not be affected by federal anti-discrimination laws. E) Her company does not have an affirmative-action plan on file.

Q: What is the name of the agency that is responsible for enforcing the executive orders that cover companies doing business with the federal government? A) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration B) the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health C) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs D) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission E) the Federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Q: The ________ is the set of guidelines issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other agencies to identify how an organization should establish a recruitment process that is free and fair. A) Uniform Commercial Code B) Equal Opportunity Legislation and Policy C) Code of Federal Regulations D) Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures E) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Employer Information Report

Q: A ________ refers to an agreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and an organization that the organization will cease certain discriminatory practices and possibly institute additional affirmative-action practices to rectify its history of discrimination. A) trust agreement B) good faith bargaining C) consent decree D) letter of indemnity E) judicial estoppel

Q: After filing a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or other governmental agency, how long will an individual have to wait before having the right to sue in federal court? A) 30 days B) 60 days C) 10 days D) 20 days E) 40 days

Q: Larry has been a systems analyst at a software company for six years. Although he works hard, gets favorable performance reviews, takes night classes in business management, and has applied for promotions, his coworkers always get the promotions instead. Larry asked his coworkers about this, and one of them said, "Don't you realize? This management will never promote someone like you." This supports Larry's concern that he may be a target of discrimination because he is black; other talented employees are black, but no black employees have moved into management positions. Larry decides to discuss the problem with the human resource manager. If he can't find a satisfactory solution that way, with which federal agency could he file a complaint? A) Anti-Discrimination Federal Agency B) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission C) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs D) Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures E) Federal Register

Q: Which of the following requires the federal government to base all its employment policies on merit and fitness? A) Executive Order 11246 B) Executive Order 11478 C) The Civil Rights Act of 1866 D) The Civil Rights Act of 1871 E) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Q: Edward leaves an organization for three years to fulfill military duties. Which observation is true of his employer's obligation to reemploy Edward under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act? A) The employer is not obligated to reemploy Edward. B) The employer must reemploy Edward with the same seniority and status he would have earned if his employment had not been interrupted. C) The employer must reemploy Edward but is exempted from providing him any fringe benefits or retirement benefits. D) The employer must implement an early retirement incentive program for Edward. E) The employer must reemploy Edward with a lower pay scale to compensate for his absence.

Q: Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to ________ years. A) five B) eight C) six D) seven E) nine

Q: Bill, an employee with the U.S. Postal Service, was deployed to Iraq to serve in the U.S. Army for two years. After the completion of his military duties, he resumed work at the post office. He was reemployed with an increase in pay. Which law protected Bill by requiring that his employer reemploy him with the seniority, status, and pay rate he would have earned if he had stayed on the job during the time of his deployment? A) Vocational Rehabilitation Act B) Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) C) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) D) Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) E) Occupational Safety and Health Act

Q: Select the statement that characterizes the Civil Rights Act of 1991. A) It limits damage claims to attorney's fees and costs. B) It requires violators to pay punitive damages that specifically cover emotional pain and suffering. C) It prohibits violators from paying compensatory damages. D) It limits the maximum punitive damages allowed depending on the size of an organization. E) It limits the maximum punitive damages to $50,000 for all organizations even if the discrimination was intentional.

Q: Sun Unlimited Energy is a company that produces solar panels for domestic use. It has 800 permanent employees working in different departments. Suppose the company gets involved in a case of intentional employee discrimination. What is the maximum amount of punitive damages it would have to pay under the Civil Rights Act of 1991? A) $50,000 B) $100,000 C) $200,000 D) $250,000 E) $300,000

Q: Identify the statement that accurately represents the Americans with Disabilities Act. A) It permits an employer to cut down on fringe benefits of individuals with disabilities. B) It permits discrimination in areas such as layoffs and leaves. C) It goes beyond prohibiting discrimination to require that employers take steps to accommodate individuals covered under the legislation. D) It classifies a person who needs ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses to perform each major life activity with little or no difficulty as disabled. E) It is used to protect individuals with conditions such as obesity and substance abuse.

Q: Mia's use of illegal drugs limits her ability to walk properly. The elevator at her office was not working for many months, so Mia needed to climb two flights of stairs and had difficulty getting to her desk. She tried suing her company under the Americans with Disabilities Act, arguing that her company discriminates against individuals who cannot perform major life activities. Which statement would weaken Mia's argument? A) Mia is not a senior employee. B) The ADA prohibits discrimination only against workers who are over the age of 40. C) The ADA does not cover conditions of substance abuse. D) Mia is not pregnant. E) The ADA applies only to the decisions or actions of the government.

Q: The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who A) are obese. B) are severely disfigured. C) engage in substance abuse. D) are left-handed. E) are nearsighted.

Q: Justine, a marketing executive in her late thirties, had worked at a reputable marketing firm for the last three years. However, she was fired from the company without any prior notice when she collapsed at work after experiencing an epileptic seizure. Following this, Justine sued the company under A) Executive Order 11246. B) Rehabilitation Act of 1973. C) Americans with Disabilities Act. D) Occupational Safety and Health Act. E) Executive Order 11478.

Q: Which term refers to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group? A) affirmative action B) disparate impact C) reasonable accommodation D) reverse discrimination E) adverse impact

Q: The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was introduced to enhance employment opportunity for A) women. B) minors. C) older employees. D) individuals with disabilities. E) minorities.

Q: Which statement reflects a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act? A) Older employees are permitted to work even after attaining the retirement age. B) Employees over the age of 40 are forced to retire as part of a company's downsizing program. C) A person is denied employment because of the fact that he is a minor. D) Older workers in an organization are better compensated than the younger workers. E) An employee chooses voluntary retirement before attaining the retirement age.

Q: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects only those workers who are over the age of A) 30. B) 25. C) 20. D) 40. E) 35.

Q: Identify the statement that characterizes the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. A) It favors the idea of coercing employees to accept early retirement incentives. B) It permits an employer to reduce the fringe benefits to all employees over 40. C) It permits companies to lay off older workers when the economy is slow. D) It outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40. E) It recommends early retirement incentive programs wherein employees agree not to sue the company for ageism.

Q: Which of the following represents an act of participation in a proceeding? A) removing a whistleblower from employment B) implementing affirmative action measures C) expressing dissatisfaction over employment casually D) retaliating against a whistleblower E) testifying in an investigation

Q: Ashley thinks that her company is discriminating against a particular group of employees by denying them seniority or promotions. She expresses her concern to a senior human resources manager. This method of expressing concern about an instance of illegal employment through proper channels is known as A) opposition. B) retaliation. C) participation in a proceeding. D) discrimination. E) affirmative action.

Q: What is true about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A) The act permits employers to hire job applicants belonging exclusively to a particular nationality. B) The act applies to organizations with 15 or more employees. C) The act permits employers to retaliate against employees participating in a proceeding against an employer. D) The act protects employers from an employee's opposition to an alleged illegal employment practice. E) The act permits employers to hire an individual based on his or her gender and race in the absence of a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ).

Q: Mark and Amy hold the same position at an organization. However, Mark is paid more than Amy. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, what will strengthen the fact that the pay difference is a legal one? A) Mark is more skilled than Amy because he is a male. B) Amy is not an American citizen. C) Mark is younger than Amy. D) Amy is pregnant. E) Mark works the night shift.

Q: According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, men and women performing the same job cannot have differences in pay on the basis of A) merit. B) seniority. C) education. D) quality of production. E) sex.

Q: ________ granted all persons the same property rights as white citizens, as well as the right to enter into and enforce contracts. A) The Thirteenth Amendment B) The Fourteenth Amendment C) The Civil Rights Act of 1866 D) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act E) Executive Order 11246

Q: Which statement is true about the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871? A) They denied plaintiffs any form of compensatory and punitive damages. B) They restricted the rights of entering into and enforcing contracts to white citizens only. C) They denied individuals the right to sue in federal court. D) They excluded other individuals from having the same property rights as white citizens. E) They were passed to further the Thirteenth Amendment's goal of abolishing slavery.

Q: Which of the following is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? A) Thirteenth Amendment B) Rehabilitation Act of 1973 C) Fourteenth Amendment D) Executive Order 11246 E) Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Q: Fiona, a white female applicant, is refused a job at a local college in favor of a less qualified minority applicant. She could consider suing the college on charges of reverse discrimination under the A) Thirteenth Amendment. B) Fourteenth Amendment. C) Twenty-Second Amendment. D) Civil Rights Act of 1866. E) Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Q: Maria, a 24-year-old Hispanic woman, pressed charges of sexual harassment against Andrew, a politician. The case became sensational because the accused was one of the strongest candidates in the upcoming elections. In the case's final stage, the United States Supreme Court issued a verdict that cleared Andrew of all charges on the grounds of lack of evidence. The ruling spurred angry protests from many interest groups, especially Hispanic women, and they wanted the verdict reversed. According to the prevalent system, which among the following would overturn the verdict in this case? A) a mass petition from the public B) an appeal from the minority population C) a law passed by Congress D) a ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission E) a petition from the United States Women Rights Council

Q: Karen is a human resource specialist. To gain competency in her field, she keeps up with business news related to human resource management. One area of the news she pays attention to is coverage of the cases the Supreme Court hears each year. Why would stories about the Supreme Court be relevant for Karen's career? A) The Supreme Court may issue rulings that interpret employment law. B) The Supreme Court may pass laws regulating employment practices. C) The Supreme Court may issue executive orders related to employee safety. D) The Supreme Court may require federal contractors to engage in affirmative action. E) Decisions made by the Supreme Court cannot be overturned by the federal government.

Q: Which action could be an example of how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration plays a role in the legal environment for human resource management? A) passing laws to protect workers' safety and health B) holding trials concerning alleged violations of its regulations C) holding trials concerning alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act D) filing lawsuits against alleged violators of the Occupational Safety and Health Act E) issuing executive orders related to worker safety and health

Q: Which action is one of the ways in which the executive branch helps create the legal environment for human resource management? A) filing suit against violators of equal opportunity laws B) enacting laws governing worker safety and health C) interpreting federal laws D) overturning Supreme Court decisions E) holding trials concerning violations of equal opportunity laws

Q: Which agency is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress? A) the U.S. House of Representatives B) the U.S. Senate C) the executive branch of the government D) the legislative branch of the government E) the U.S. Cabinet

Q: Provide one example of how artificial intelligence can improve decision making or smooth processes in human resource management.

Q: What is a human resource information system (HRIS) and what are its benefits?

Q: What is outsourcing? What are the trends in human resource outsourcing?

Q: What is employee empowerment?

Q: What is the difference between the internal labor force and the external labor market?

Q: Explain what a psychological contract is and compare the traditional version to the new type.

Q: List and explain the core values of total quality management.

Q: Define the concept of knowledge workers and explain their impact on high-performance work systems.

Q: Explain the problem of skill deficiencies in the U.S. workforce. What are companies doing to address this issue?

Q: List the activities involved in managing cultural diversity.

Q: A person that is employed directly by a company for a certain amount of time, specified in a formal agreement between the company and the workers, is referred to as a(n) A) on-call worker. B) independent contractor. C) temporary worker. D) contract company worker. E) part-time worker.

Q: Which of the following is a type of person who works for an organization only when they are needed? A) on-call workers B) moonlighting employees C) apprentices D) part-time employees E) trainees

Q: Mohammed, a financial analyst, is not employed directly by any company. He works for several clients based on their requirements. Mohammed would be classified as a(n) A) permanent employee. B) independent contractor. C) part-time employee. D) contract company worker. E) temporary worker.

Q: Independent contractors are A) usually full-time company employees. B) self-employed individuals with multiple clients. C) people employed by a temporary agency. D) employed directly by a company for a specific time. E) people employed by a company to work on an independent project.

Q: The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and contract company workers, collectively constitutes A) outsourcing. B) alternative work arrangements. C) consolidation. D) high-performance work systems. E) offshoring.

Q: Kasey changes jobs on a regular basis. She does this to secure better career growth opportunities and to decrease boredom. Kasey engages in A) freelancing. B) job enrichment. C) job hopping. D) benchmarking. E) moonlighting.

Q: Employees realize that many companies are no longer able to provide long-term employment security. Instead, the employees now want A) increased pay. B) less demanding work. C) employability. D) written employment contracts. E) additional benefits.

Q: The new type of psychological contract has resulted in reduced A) creativity. B) employee compensation. C) flexibility. D) training and development opportunities. E) job security.

Q: Which statement is true of a psychological contract? A) A psychological contract describes spoken expectations that are widely held by employers and employees. B) In the new version of the psychological contract, organizations manage the career paths for their employees. C) In the traditional version of the psychological contract, organizations expected employees to take more responsibility for their own careers, from seeking training to balancing work and family. D) A psychological contract is a display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics, such as productivity and absenteeism. E) A psychological contract is not formally put into words.

Q: The management of J&A Homes expects its employees to be enthusiastic about their work by seeking training, putting in long hours of work, initiating better work procedures, and maintaining a sound balance between professional life and personal life. In return, the firm's employees expect management to arrange for better incentives, flexible work schedules, and increased authority to execute their tasks. This scenario is an example of a(n) A) employee contract. B) offer letter. C) legal agreement. D) legal bond. E) psychological contract.

Q: Which term refers to the intentional practice of changing jobs frequently? A) job hopping B) moonlighting C) job enlargement D) job enrichment E) freelancing

Q: The relationship between an employer and an employee can be thought of in terms of a(n) ________, a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions. A) employee contract B) offer letter C) psychological contract D) legal bond E) legal agreement

Q: What is an HR dashboard? A) a messaging system used by HR managers to communicate with employees B) a display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics C) a tool used to measure the profitability and growth rate of the organization D) a computer system used to acquire and distribute information about work schedules and job duties E) a system used to store, analyze, and process the information regarding the levels of demand and inventory

Q: The use of technology by HR departments in business organizations has resulted in A) organizations becoming more restrictive about information pertaining to workplace policies. B) the elimination of the self-service approach toward information dissemination. C) the elimination of face-to-face meetings and training sessions. D) the collection of employees' opinions through online surveys. E) HR employees having greater responsibilities for record keeping.

Q: Nora is interested in a career in human resource management. She expected her first job to focus on giving employees access to information and enrollment forms for training, benefits, and other programs. However, she has since learned that HR employees spend less time doing that kind of work. Which trend is behind that change? A) Employees can now get such information through self-service. B) Benefits have been cut from most company programs. C) Managers have taken over those HR duties. D) Lack of voluntary participation has led to the elimination of employee training programs. E) Due to privacy laws, human resources cannot obtain any sensitive employee information.

Q: Which statement is true of an intranet? A) It is a system that uses powerful computers to analyze large amounts of data, such as data about employee traits. B) It is a network that uses Internet tools but limits access to authorized users in the organization. C) It is a network that is used by a business to reach out to the customers and send them product information. D) It is a system that is used by outside suppliers to update inventories. E) It is a network universally used by business organizations to transfer data from one geographical location to another.

Q: Which technology simulates human thinking? A) electronic performance support systems B) intranet portals C) self-service portals D) cloud computing E) artificial intelligence

Q: Gamma is a company that develops software to help businesses with data processing. Their software performs multiple business functions, including processing payrolls, generating tax information for employees, and managing performance evaluation reports. The software is hosted on a remote server maintained by Gamma, and client businesses can access it online. Which technology is being used by Gamma to perform the computing tasks for other businesses? A) intranet portal B) HR dashboard C) data mining D) cloud computing E) artificial intelligence

Q: Which technology can be used to provide employees access to information about HR issues? A) intranet portals B) application services C) self-service D) business intelligence systems E) electronic performance support systems

Q: What is a key advantage of human resource information systems? A) They can be used to scrutinize balance sheets. B) They can be used to develop new lines of products. C) They can ensure that data is kept private and confidential. D) They help HR professionals think strategically. E) They can be used to reduce the size of the HR staff.

Q: Employees who take assignments in other countries are called A) host-country nationals. B) immigrants. C) external employees. D) expatriates. E) emigrants.

Q: When large U.S. software companies open facilities in developing countries to take advantage of the highly skilled labor available there at lower pay rates, they are engaging in A) consolidation. B) nationalization. C) crowdsourcing. D) codetermining. E) offshoring.

Q: Which statement best describes offshoring? A) It is the practice of having another company provide services. B) It refers to moving operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available. C) It is a method of staffing other than the traditional hiring of full-time employees. D) It is a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality of products and services. E) It refers to acquiring a new company in a distant location or another country in order to acquire higher market share or growth.

Q: EnTech Inc., an electronics manufacturer, is headquartered in Florida. The firm shifted its operations from Florida to China due to lower labor costs and the availability of required skills in China. This scenario indicates that EnTech engaged in the practice of A) downsizing. B) reengineering. C) offshoring. D) benchmarking. E) acquiring.

Q: What is the most common reason why U.S. organizations hire employees in foreign countries? A) lack of technology in the United States. B) lack of demand for their products in the United States. C) poor quality of labor in the United States. D) governmental pressure E) low cost of labor in foreign countries

Q: Companies are finding that to survive they must contend in international markets as well as fend off foreign competitors' attempts to gain ground in the United States. What would help businesses in the United States meet these challenges? A) They must focus on developing domestic markets rather than on developing global markets. B) They must hire only from a domestic labor pool. C) They must prepare employees for global assignments. D) They must eliminate reshoringreestablishing operations in North America. E) They must reduce the workforce with a "grenade" approachby eliminating an entire group of employees.

Q: At Your Service Inc. is a consumer goods company that provides the option of door-to-door delivery. The company partners with a packaging company for transporting its goods to the customers. This is an example of A) cause marketing. B) outsourcing. C) reengineering. D) disinvesting. E) downsizing.

Q: The practice of having another company provide services is known as A) benchmarking. B) downsizing. C) codetermining. D) outsourcing. E) reengineering.