Practical steps for HR to transform itself and enhance its contributions to organizational success and effectiveness

Question 1.Which of the following is NOT one of strategic human resource management schools of thought?

•   Best fit
•   Reserve-based view
•   Best practice
•   Resource-based view

Question 2.__________ refers to leveraging linkages between human resource practices and organizational objectives for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage.

•   Personnel administration
•   Skills management
•   Strategic human resource management
•   Human resource practices

Question 3.Which of the following is NOT true about independent contractors?

• Independent contractors use their own tools.
• Employer does not have to contribute to their Social Security, Medicare and unemployment Taxes, or workers’ compensation costs.
• Independent contractors do not have to pay income taxes.
• Independent contractors design their own schedules.

Question 4.Which of the following is NOT one of the factors to be considered by organizations before venturing into global recruiting?

•   Organizational structure
•   Cultural differences
•   Brand recognition
•   Variations in HR laws, practices and compensation systems

Question 5.Which of the following is most likely to be listed on the job specification for a grocery store manager?

• Designs, coordinates and communicates schedules on a weekly basis to ensure adequate staffing of all shifts.
• Works with head office personnel to plan and implement marketing strategies, advertising campaigns, weekly sales, seasonal specials, and other store functions.
• Leads the process of staffing and training all store personnel.
• Has three years of managerial experience, preferably in retail.

Question 6.Which of the following is NOT one of the sources of information that help an organization determine the type of training it needs?

•   Individual analysis
•   Competitor analysis
•   Job analysis or task analysis
•   Organizational analysis

Question 7.What is one reason employees might be more satisfied with flexible benefits than with traditional benefits?

•   Flexible benefits offer better healthcare coverage.
•   Flexible benefits are simpler to understand.
•   Flexible benefits offer more decision making control.
•   Flexible benefits are less expensive.

Question 8.The illegal practice of hiring less qualified employees because they belong to a group that is underrepresented is often called:

•   affirmative action.
•   reverse discrimination.
•   disaffirmative action.
•   hiring quota.

Question 9.Which type of training might be a better option when the goal is to develop new skills and prepare employees for future responsibilities, challenges, or positions?

•   Off-site training
•   On-the-job training
•   On-site training
•   Professional certification

Question 10.__________ offer(s) employees a pool of benefit choices from which to select the combination that works for them, within certain limits.

•   A cafeteria plan
•   Work-life benefits
•   A cost-benefit approach
•   A defined-contribution plan

Question 11.Which of the following does NOT represent a current sociocultural challenge to HR planning?

•   Rising number of dual career couples.
•   Changing nature of employee expectations.
•   Age distribution of the workforce.
•   Decrease in the percentage of women in the workplace.

Question 12.In the __________ stage of the training process, the content and resources that meet the goals and objectives set in the training’s design stage are determined and addressed.

•   training development
•   training delivery
•   training design
•   training transfer

Question 13.What framework for determining the proper use of selection procedures, including test procedures, has been used by courts in deciding cases related to unfair employment practices?

•   Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures
•   Federal Employment Best Practices
•   Core Evaluation and Selection Inventories
•   Federal Employee Selection Best Practice Framework

Question 14.__________ asserts that when negative consequences follow behaviors, the behaviors tend to occur less frequently, and when positive consequences follow behaviors, the behaviors tend to increase.

•   Skinner’s operant conditioning
•   Thorndike’s law of effect
•   Pavlov’s conditioning experiment
•   Skinner’s theory of behaviorism

Question 15.Which of the following are most likely to shape employee motivation?

•   The availability of flextime and other work-life benefits.
•   The perceived value of the rewards package as a whole.
•   The monetary value of a specific benefit.
•   Benefits that are expensive to purchase individually, such as health insurance.

Question 16.__________ act(s) as a mediator between employees and organizations in order to align employees’ interests with the organization’s expectations.

•   Employment agencies
•   Employers
•   Human Resources
•   Headhunters

Question 17.Which motivation theory is applicable in a situation where an employee is motivated by the prospect of promotion because he/she can fulfill power and achievement needs?

•   Alderfer’s ERG theory
•   Herzberg’s two-factor theory
•   Thorndike’s law of effect
•   McClelland’s acquired needs theory

Question 18.Based on Pfeffer’s work, which of the following is one of the seven practices that are most effective for gaining competitive advantage?

•   Company performance-based pay
•   Skill-based pay
•   Knowledge-based pay
•   Job-based pay

Question 19.Which of the following is most likely to influence an employer’s decision to allow flexible work schedules?

•   The employee’s needs.
•   The employer’s desire to retain workers.
•   The employer’s perceived cost savings.
•   The Fair Labor Standards Act.

Question 20.__________ involves the use of the Internet in an informal manner for hiring purposes through blogs, technical and specialized online journals, informal communication with similar-minded professionals, as well as recruiting websites that solicit qualified applicants.

•   Internet recruiting
•   External recruiting
•   Social media
•   Social networking

Question 21.Josh Bersin states that, “US spending on corporate training grew by 15% last year (the highest growth rate in seven years) to over $70 Billion in the US and over $130 Billion worldwide” (2014, para.1). Select a particular industry and discuss the necessity and implications of such excessive training spending. What are some of the challenges HR teams are facing as a result of this particular spending growth?

Reference:

Bersin, J. (2014). Spending on Corporate Training Soars: Employee Capabilities Now A Priority. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/02/04/the-recovery-arrives-corporate-training-spend-skyrockets/

Question 22.As a small business employer, explain how nontraditional (e.g. flex time, telecommuting) work schedules might make it easier for you to recruit employees.

Question 23.While many organizations are sold on the idea that strategic HRM adds value, a much smaller percentage acts on that belief (see the “Eye on the Goal” feature in chapter 1 of the text for a more detailed discussion of this point). However, HR is sometimes to blame for the doubts and suspicions that organizational decision makers have about the contributions of human assets to the bottom line. Strategic HR planning is at the core of the much-needed changes and developments in the new HR paradigm.

Address the following:

Define the current predominant paradigm for HR.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current paradigm. (At least 3 each)

What is the new paradigm for HR?

In what ways does this new paradigm help organizations realize a human-based competitive advantage? (Offer 2-3 ways. Be specific.)

What are some practical steps for HR to transform itself and enhance its contributions to organizational success and effectiveness?