Quiz Chapter 13 Managing Human Resources Globally

Which of the following is an advantage of staffing parent-country nationals (PCNs) in top positions of a company?

A) Language and cultural barriers are eliminated.

B) Cost-effectiveness of the staffing is increased.

C) Control by headquarters is facilitated.

D) Time required for PCN's adaptation is reduced.

C

Which of the following statements is true of the ethnocentric approach in staffing?

A) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the parent company by relying on parent-country nationals (PCNs).

B) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the host country by relying on host-country nationals (HCNs).

C) It focuses on the norms and practices of a third country by relying on third-country nationals (TCNs).

D) It focuses on finding the most suitable managers, who can be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs), or third-country nationals (TCNs).

A

Which of the following best describes a polycentric approach in staffing?

A) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the parent company by relying on parent-country nationals (PCNs).

B) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the host country by relying on host-country nationals (HCNs).

C) It focuses on the norms and practices of a third country by relying on third-country nationals (TCNs).

D) It focuses on finding the most suitable managers, who can be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs), or third-country nationals (TCNs).

B

Which of the following is an advantage of staffing host-country nationals (HCNs) in top positions of a company?

A) Language and cultural barriers are eliminated.

B) Career opportunities for HCNs are unlimited.

C) Control by headquarters is facilitated.

D) The gap between headquarters and the subsidiary is reduced.

A

Which of the following is an advantage of staffing third-country nationals (TCNs) in top positions of a company?

A) Career opportunities for TCNs are unlimited.

B) Third-country nationals' (TCNs') adaptation to the host country is likely to take less time.

C) The gap between headquarters and the subsidiary is reduced.

D) The barriers to language and culture are eliminated.

C

Which of the following statements is true of a geocentric approach in staffing?

A) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the parent company by relying on parent-country nationals (PCNs).

B) It emphasizes the norms and practices of the host country by relying on host-country nationals (PCNs).

C) It focuses on the norms and practices of a third country by relying on third-country nationals (TCNs).

D) It focuses on finding the most suitable managers, who can be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs), or third-country nationals (TCNs).

D

Which of the following portrays the role of expatriates as strategists?

A) Running operations and building local capabilities

B) Building relationships with host-country stakeholders, such as local managers

C) Coaching local employees for their future replacements

D) Enabling headquarters to control subsidiaries

D

Which of the following portrays the role of expatriates as daily managers?

A) Running operations and building local capabilities

B) Building relationships with host-country stakeholders, such as local managers

C) Coaching local employees for their future replacements

D) Facilitating the socialization process to bring subsidiaries into a multinational enterprise's global orbit

A

Which of the following portrays the role of expatriates as ambassadors?

A) Running operations and building local capabilities

B) Building relationships with host-country stakeholders, such as local managers

C) Coaching local employees for their future replacements

D) Facilitating socialization to bring subsidiaries under headquarters' radar

B

Which of the following modes of measuring expatriate failure is the easiest to observe?

A) Unfulfilled career development objectives

B) Unmet business objectives

C) Premature return

D) Lack of skill development

C

Which of the following is the leading cause of expatriate failures in US and European multinational enterprises?

A) Inability to cope with the larger scope of responsibilities overseas

B) Spouse and family's inability to adjust to life in a foreign country

C) Physical breakdown while working in a foreign country

D) Emotional immaturity of the expatriates while working overseas

B

Which of the following is a situation dimension that affects expatriate selection?

A) Corporate headquarter preferences

B) Technical ability or expertise

C) Spouse and family preferences

D) Cross-cultural adaptability

A

Which of the following is an individual dimension that affects expatriate selection?

A) Corporate headquarter preferences

B) Host-country preferences

C) Spouse and family preferences

D) Language preferences

C

Activities that attract, select, and manage employees are, today, collectively known as _____.

A) Records management

B) Personnel

C) Human resource management

D) Staffing

C

An MNE using a home replication strategy is most likely to use a(n) ______ approach to staffing.

A) Ethnocentric

B) Polycentric

C) Geocentric

D) Multicultural

A

George is an American national working as an expatriate for a MNE in South Africa. His contact was for five years, but he decided to repatriate after only one year. Which of the following is a likely reason for his early repatriation?

A) Inadequate compensation

B) Family related problems

C) Poor training

D) Was not good at his job in the first place

B

Amara is an American expatriate working in Singapore. After her initial 3 year contract as a manager in Singapore ended, she was re-contracted to hire and train local people as managers. Given this information, Amara is currently an expatriate acting as a _____.

A) visitor

B) strategist

C) trainer

D) daily manager

C

Which of the following is true of a psychological contract?

A) It is difficult to violate

B) Usually written down and signed by both parties

C) Is an informal understanding

D) It is not often a source of anxiety for expatriates

C

When an employee returns to their home country after an extended period working overseas they are known as a(n) _____.

A) expatriate

B) repatriate

C) emigrant

D) returner

B

In the context of expatriate managers, what is the difference between training and development?

A) Training is more long term.

B) Development is specific to a particular job.

C) Development happens once expatriates are already in the host country.

D) Training is specific preparation for a job.

D

For the firms concerned about expatriate failures, which of the following statements is true of the training for expatriates?

A) Training should correspond to the expatriate's expected length of stay.

B) Training should be given after expatriates reach their host countries.

C) Training is unnecessary for expatriates without a spouse.

D) Training should not involve the spouses of expatriates.

A

Chief among the problems experienced by repatriates is _____.

A) career anxiety

B) readjustment to domestic workplace

C) possible loss of status

D) readjustment to society

A

The best way to reduce expatriate turnover is to:

A) send more expatriates on long-term assignments.

B) frame a career development plan for expatriates.

C) rely more on foreign staff instead of local staff for an international assignment.

D) provide a psychological contract before expatriates leave for an assignment.

B

Which of the following statements is true of the going rate approach of expatriate compensation?

A) It fosters identification with host countries.

B) It promotes equity between assignments for the same employee.

C) It increases costs and complexity in administration.

D) It facilitates repatriation.

A

Which of the following is an advantage of the balance sheet approach to expatriate compensation?

A) Simplicity

B) Identification with host country

C) Inexpensive to administer

D) Facilitates expatriate reentry

D

Which of the following is true of the balance sheet approach of expatriate compensation?

A) It fosters identification with host countries.

B) It promotes equity among expatriates, repatriates, and host-country nationals.

C) It promotes equity between assignments for the same employee.

D) It causes reentry problem if the prevailing rate in the parent country is less than that in the host country.

C

Which of the following statements is true of performance appraisals?

A) It determines the initial compensation received by employees.

B) It assists in decisions such as pay and promotion of employees.

C) It is unaffected by cultural differences between home and host countries.

D) It is based on how host-country nationals, not expatriates, are evaluated.

B

Which of the following statements is true of labor unions?

A) They are formed to help workers earn higher wages.

B) They are formed to help top management cut costs.

C) They are comprised of employees at top-level management.

D) They are established multinational labor organizations.

A

Which of the following best illustrates multinational enterprises' (MNEs') take on managing labor relations abroad?

A) They prefer experienced repatriates to deal with unions.

B) They prefer experienced host-country nationals to deal with unions.

C) They prefer experienced parent-country nationals to deal with unions.

D) They prefer experienced third-country nationals to deal with unions.

B

From an institution-based view, which of the following formal rules affects human resource management (HRM) in multinational enterprises?

A) Values of staffing in multinational enterprises

B) Cultural preferences of host countries

C) Skills of organization's employees

D) Laws of host countries

D

From an institution-based view, which of the following informal rules affects human resource management (HRM) in multinational enterprises?

A) Norms of staffing in multinational enterprises (MNEs)

B) Laws and regulations of host countries

C) Labor unions in multinational enterprises (MNEs)

D) Tax reforms in host countries

A

While informal cultures, norms, and values are important both in home country and abroad, human resource (HR) managers need to:

A) avoid stereotyping.

B) have an ethnocentric attitude.

C) ignore one's own culture.

D) adapt to presumed local norms based on traditional stereotypes.

A

Which of the following is a stereotypical view associated with an expatriate?

A) An expatriate's activities are imitable.

B) An expatriate's talents are rare and unique.

C) An expatriate is a senior executive leading a life of luxury to compensate for hardship overseas.

D) An expatriate is someone younger sent abroad to gain experience with more down-to-earth titles.

C

Which of the following conditions must be considered by human resource managers while conducting a human resource (HR) activity?

A) An HR activity must be imitable.

B) An HR activity must be rare and unique.

C) An HR activity must diversify from organizational capabilities.

D) An HR activity must be substitutable.

B

Which of the following is a way that HRM can work to gain a greater degree of employee loyalty and investment in their firm?

A) Adopt activities that are imitable.

B) Adopt activities that are rare and unique.

C) Adopt a mutual investment approach.

D) Adopt an alliance approach.

C

Which of the following statements about HRM is true?

A) HRM largely determines the success and failure of firms around the world.

B) 92 studies suggest that an effective HR system is associated with a 4.6% increase in return on assets.

C) Results from 3,200 firms show that change of one standard deviation in the HR system affects 10% to 20% of a firm's market value.

D) All of the above.

D

In the context of implications for action of human resource managers, which of the following illustrates the four Cs?

A) Be curious, be competent, be courageous, and be caring.

B) Be capable, be cautious, be clever, and be combative.

C) Be competent, be courteous, be creative, and be charitable.

D) Be chivalrous, be civil, be canny, and be cautious.

A