Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following is an external force that would cause a company to make an organizational change? A) an organization-wide restructuring B) the naming of a new CEO C) a widening span of control for managers D) a booming economy

Q: Which of the following is an internal force that can cause a company to make an organizational change? A) a new ad campaign B) new safety requirements C) a new rival company D) new pollution laws

Q: Falling interest rates are an example of what kind of external force that causes a company to need to make an organizational change? A) marketplace competition forces B) government laws and regulations C) labor market forces D) economic forces

Q: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is an example of which of the following forms of environmental change? A) internal B) technology C) government laws and regulations D) labor markets

Q: Which of the following is an organizational technology change? A) purchase of a new backhoe B) employees expecting a raise C) employees accepting a new schedule D) widening of span of control

Q: Which of the following is an organizational structure change? A) the building of a new workshop B) resentment of bosses by employees C) a new way to package chocolate cake D) changing who reports to whom

Q: Which of the following is an organizational "people change"? A) work methods that people use B) authority relationships between people C) attitudes that people have D) job redesign

Q: Which of the following is an example of a technology change within an organization? A) forming teams to complete tasks B) workers using new software C) workers wanting to telecommute D) workers wanting flexible hours

Q: Which of the following is an example of a structural organizational change? A) changing employee attitudes B) changing work practices C) purchasing new work equipment D) changing managerial span of control

Q: Change can't be eliminated, so managers must learn to ________ successfully. A) avoid it B) ignore it C) work around it D) manage it

Q: In a short essay, discuss why sexual harassment is such a difficult problem in today's workplace.

Q: In a short essay, discuss how workforce diversity is directly affected by recruitment, selection, orientation, and training.

Q: Companies find that it is impossible to stop giving employee pensions. In fact, the number of employees on pension plans has risen over the last twenty years.

Q: Workplace spirituality exclusively involves religion in the workplace.

Q: One major way that an organization can protect itself against sexual harassment cases is to make sure that all employees are well educated on the topic.

Q: Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted activity of a sexual nature that affects an individual's employment.

Q: Although most sexual harassment complaints are filed by women, a significant number of complaints are filed by men.

Q: Job referrals generally are NOT a good method for improving workplace diversity.

Q: Downsizing can be as stressful for the survivors as it is for the victims.

Q: Which health care or safety issue concerns companies the most? A) smoking B) disease C) traffic accidents D) obesity

Q: Which benefit cost do companies see as their biggest worry? A) health care B) retirement plans C) unemployment insurance D) Social Security

Q: The major disadvantage of company pensions is their ________. A) link to employee retention B) cost C) attractiveness to young employees D) tax liability for employees

Q: Which of the following would be considered grounds for a sexual harassment charge? A) jokes that had a sexual theme but no one found offensive B) artwork that, while some considered classic, made some employees feel uncomfortable C) hiring a male employee who had been previously convicted of a sex crime D) consensual dating between an employee and supervisor

Q: Who would usually hear an appeal if an employee felt they had been inappropriately accused of sexual harassment? A) the employee's direct supervisor B) the director of human resources C) a manager at a higher level not associated with the case D) a manager at a higher level who is already involved in the case

Q: What financial threat does sexual harassment pose to companies? A) minor risk of fine B) small legal fees only C) enormous risk of major lawsuit settlements D) none, because companies are insured against harassment

Q: The key to most sexual harassment cases against an organization is whether the organization ________. A) knew about the behavior and what it did to stop it B) told other employees in the department that harassment occurred C) fired the employee after the charges were lodged D) had hired a known sex offender

Q: If an employee rebuffs inappropriate sexual advances from her boss but still receives a promotion, ________. A) the boss can't be guilty of sexual harassment B) the employee is not allowed to lodge a complaint C) the boss can still be guilty of sexual harassment D) the employee is not allowed to lodge a complaint if she accepts the promotion

Q: ________ are filed with the EEOC each year. A) More sexual harassment complaints from males than females B) More sexual harassment complaints from females than males C) About an equal number of sexual harassment complaints from males and females D) Almost no sexual harassment complaints from males

Q: According to the EEOC, sexual harassment is ________ that creates a hostile environment, interferes with a person's work or diminishes the person's employment opportunities. A) any speech B) any unwanted or unsolicited speech or physical conduct C) any speech of a sexual nature D) any speech or physical conduct of a sexual nature

Q: To improve workplace diversity, a manager might ________. A) advertise in ethnic newspapers and Internet sites B) tighten his recruiting net C) solicit referrals from existing employees D) post a notice that states he is an equal opportunity employer

Q: Downsizing seems to harm ________. A) victims who are dismissed only B) both victims who are dismissed and survivors who stayed on C) survivors who stayed on only D) managers who carried out the dismissals and their families only

Q: In a short essay, describe employee counseling and explain how it can be beneficial in remedying employee underperformance due to lack of effort.

Q: In a short essay, discuss why 360-degree appraisal is a popular appraisal method among successful companies.

Q: In a short essay, describe how multiperson comparison is done.

Q: In a short essay, compare the critical incident, graphic rating scales, and BARS appraisal methods.

Q: Organizations are not legally required to provide benefits of any type for employees.

Q: Most U.S. jobs use a variable pay system to compensate employees.

Q: The primary determinant of an individual's pay is the type of job he or she performs.

Q: A key goal of compensation system is to keep employees motivated.

Q: Using individual ranking as an employee appraisal device, two employees might be named "best" in the group.

Q: The 360-degree appraisal includes evaluations from multiple people who interact with the employee.

Q: The BARS appraisal method is the easiest to develop.

Q: A strength of a written essay as an employee appraisal device is that it allows the writing skill of the evaluator to be a determining factor in the appraisal of performance.

Q: The only goal of a performance management system is to assess manufacturing levels and technological efficiency.

Q: Health insurance is an example of which of the following? A) compensation B) employee benefit C) salary D) wages

Q: Nine out of ten organizations in the United States pay their workers on a scale that is based primarily on ________. A) skills B) seniority C) status D) performance

Q: Which of the following is NOT a factor that should influence compensation and benefits? A) gender B) seniority C) geographical location D) employee performance levels

Q: This is the most important factor in determining how much pay an employee receives. A) education level B) experience C) the type of job the employee has D) the amount of time and effort the employee puts into the job

Q: Which of the following is NOT an outcome of an effective compensation system? A) keeping employees motivated B) attracting talented employees C) greater unionization of the workforce D) retaining talented employees

Q: What is the best course of action when there is a mismatch between the employee and the job? A) employee counseling B) fire the employee C) reassign the employee to a better-matched job D) provide training

Q: Which of the following would be most likely to result in a manager recommending counseling for an employee? A) The employee and the job are mismatched. B) The employee lacks desire to do the job. C) The employee does not have the skills required for the job. D) The employee has not been adequately trained.

Q: Which multiperson employee evaluation method allows for two or more employees to get the same rating? A) group-order ranking B) individual ranking C) paired comparison D) 360-degree feedback

Q: How would the individual ranking method rank a group of 30 employees? A) All 30 employees would be given a letter grade from A to F. B) Employees would be ranked in quintiles, e.g., the top fifth, the second fifth, and so on. C) Employees would be ranked against one another in pairs. D) Each employee would be ranked by number from 1 to 30.

Q: What do the written essay, critical incidents, graphic rating scales, and BARS evaluation methods have in common? A) They compare individuals against standards. B) They are multiperson comparisons. C) They compare one employee to his or her peers. D) They rank employees by performance.

Q: A 360-degree feedback process differs from other appraisal methods in that it includes ________. A) a written essay B) feedback from an employee's supervisor C) honest feedback D) feedback from the employee

Q: A performance appraisal method that combines two other well-known methods into one process is called ________. A) written essay B) 360-degree feedback C) graphic rating scales D) BARS

Q: A critical incident employee appraisal method collects ________. A) anecdotes that reveal the character and performance of an employee B) statements from coworkers in support of an employee C) statements from superiors that may or may not support an employee D) data from an employee's computer to evaluate his or her performance

Q: All of the following are true of an adjective rating scale for employee evaluation EXCEPT ________. A) provides the most thorough view of the employee B) provides objective quantitative data that can be analyzed in a variety of ways C) is not time-consuming D) it lists performance factors

Q: A disadvantage of a written essay for employee appraisal is that it tends to be biased by ________. A) the prejudice of the evaluator B) friendship between the employee and the evaluator C) the writing skill of the evaluator D) the writing skill of the employee

Q: In a short essay, discuss off-the-job training methods.

Q: In a short essay, discuss on-the-job training methods.

Q: In a short essay, discuss the process of orientation and its major goals.

Q: The best way to measure the effectiveness of job training is to simply ask trainees how they felt about the trainer and their impressions of what they learned.

Q: Job training in the United States has been significantly impacted by advances in information technology.

Q: Neil Huffman Auto group claims that every dollar it spends on training ultimately results in $230 in productivity gains.

Q: Most job training does not take place on the job.

Q: Important goals of job orientation are to reduce anxiety and to familiarize the recruit with the job and the organization.

Q: Which of the following is the best way to evaluate a training program? A) how much trainees say they learned B) how costly the method is C) how much information trainees retain D) actual job performance of trainees

Q: Which of the following is NOT a positive feature of job rotation as a training method? A) simulation of actual work tasks B) exposure to many different work tasks C) introduction to coworkers D) does not take up too much of any one experienced worker's time

Q: Which form of on-the-job training might have a trainee working with a single mentor from the organization? A) vestibule training B) simulation exercises C) understudy assignments D) job rotation

Q: Most training in U.S. organizations is ________. A) on-the-job training B) off-the-job training C) classroom training D) simulation exercise training

Q: Which of the following is NOT a sign to look for in a successful orientation process? A) The new employee feels comfortable. B) The new employee clearly exceeds all productivity goals for his or her work unit. C) The new employee has an easier transition into the workplace. D) The new employee understands his or her duties and responsibilities.

Q: Organizational orientation informs a new employee about ________. A) his or her responsibilities for the job B) the history and philosophy of the organization C) what expectations he or she has about the job are unrealistic D) how their manager will evaluate the employee on the job

Q: All of the following are goals of the orientation process EXCEPT ________. A) reduce anxiety B) familiarize the employee with the job C) introduce the employee to his or her coworkers D) discuss payments and benefits

Q: In a short essay, discuss the interview as a selection device for HRM.

Q: In a short essay, discuss the performance-simulation test as a selection device for HRM.

Q: In a short essay, discuss the written test as a selection device for HRM.

Q: In a short essay, list three major sources of potential job candidates. Include a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each major source to support your answer.

Q: In a short essay, discuss job analysis, job description, and job specification.

Q: In a realistic job preview (RJP), an applicant might be told that the likelihood for promotion for the job he is applying for is slim.