Human Resources Final Exam – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key human-resource management concepts and legal terms for final exam preparation.

Affirmative Action

Proactive employment policies that set goals or preferences to remedy past or present discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for protected groups.

AMP (Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose)

Motivational framework stating employees thrive when they have control over work (autonomy), chances to improve skills (mastery), and a sense of meaningful contribution (purpose).

Autonomy

The degree of freedom and control employees have in scheduling and performing their work.

Mastery

Opportunities for employees to develop, practice, and excel at job-related skills.

Purpose

Employees’ sense that their work contributes to larger organizational or societal goals.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

Performance appraisal method that links numerical ratings to specific, observable job behaviors.

Behavior-based Questions

Interview questions asking candidates to describe past actions in job-related situations to predict future performance.

Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)

Legal defense allowing limited discrimination when a protected characteristic is essential to a job’s normal operation.

Business Necessity

Justification that an employment practice with disparate impact is job-related and essential for safe, efficient operations, and no less discriminatory alternative exists.

Chain of Command

Formal reporting hierarchy that defines lines of authority and communication within an organization.

Checklist Scale

Simple appraisal tool where managers check statements that describe an employee’s performance.

COBRA

Federal law requiring employers to offer temporary continuation of group health coverage after qualifying events such as job loss.

Compensation

Total financial and non-financial rewards employees receive in exchange for their work.

Competency-based Analysis

HR process identifying core KSAOs and behaviors critical for success in a role or organization.

Competency-based Questions

Interview questions designed to reveal whether candidates possess specific underlying competencies.

Direct Report

Employee who formally reports to a specific manager within the organizational hierarchy.

Disparate Impact

Unintentional discrimination caused by neutral policies that disproportionately affect a protected group.

Diversity

Presence of a wide variety of human differences (e.g., race, gender, age, thought) within an organization.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

U.S. federal agency that enforces laws prohibiting workplace discrimination.

Exempt Employee

Worker meeting FLSA duties and salary tests who is not entitled to overtime pay.

Non-exempt Employee

Employee covered by FLSA overtime rules and eligible for overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a week.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

U.S. law setting minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and child labor standards.

FICA Withholding

Payroll taxes deducted to fund Social Security and Medicare programs.

W-2 Form

Annual statement reporting an employee’s wages and tax withholdings to the worker and IRS.

Flat Organizational Structure

Design with few hierarchical levels and wide spans of control, encouraging decentralized decisions.

Tall Organizational Structure

Design with many hierarchical levels and narrow spans of control, featuring centralized decisions.

Form 1099-NEC

Tax form used to report nonemployee compensation paid to independent contractors.

Graphic Rating Scale

Performance appraisal method rating employees on traits or behaviors along a numerical continuum.

Halo Effect

Rater bias where one positive trait unduly influences all other performance ratings.

Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment

Unwelcome sexual conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive workplace atmosphere.

Form I-9

Document used to verify identity and employment authorization of U.S. hires.

Independent Contractor

Self-employed individual providing services under contract, not considered an employee for tax and labor law purposes.

Job Analysis

Systematic process of collecting detailed information about job duties, KSAs, and working conditions.

Job Description

Written document describing a job’s essential duties, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.

KSAOs

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics required for successful job performance.

Management by Objective (MBO)

Performance system where managers and employees set and review SMART goals aligned with organizational objectives.

Mandated Benefits

Legally required benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation.

Matrix Organizational Structure

Design in which employees report to both functional and project managers, creating dual authority lines.

Minimum Wage

Lowest hourly pay rate employers may legally pay, set by federal, state, or local law.

Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Contract prohibiting disclosure of an organization’s confidential information or trade secrets.

O*NET

U.S. Department of Labor’s online database offering detailed occupational information, tasks, and KSAOs.

Open-ended Questions

Interview prompts that require narrative responses, yielding richer information than yes/no questions.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Specialized clothing or gear worn to protect employees from workplace hazards.

Pension

Employer-funded defined benefit plan promising a specific retirement income based on service and salary.

Psychological Safety

Team climate where members feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of ridicule or punishment.

Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

Harassment in which employment decisions hinge on an employee’s submission to or rejection of sexual advances.

Ranking Method System

Appraisal technique that orders employees from best to worst on overall performance or traits.

Reverse Discrimination

Perception that affirmative action or diversity efforts unfairly disadvantage majority group members.

Salary Grade

Range of pay established for jobs of similar value, usually with minimum, midpoint, and maximum rates.

Situation-based Questions

Interview questions presenting hypothetical scenarios to assess a candidate’s judgment and problem-solving.

Span of Control

Number of direct reports assigned to a manager.

Structured Interview

Interview in which all candidates are asked identical, predetermined questions scored with standardized ratings.

Summative Evaluation

Assessment conducted at the end of a program or period to judge overall effectiveness and outcomes.

Formative Evaluation

Ongoing assessment aimed at providing feedback for continuous improvement during a program or project.

Task-based Analysis

Job analysis approach focusing on identifying specific tasks and responsibilities of a role.

Team Culture

Shared norms, values, and behaviors that shape how a specific work team operates.

Organizational Culture

Deeply embedded values, beliefs, and practices that characterize an entire organization.

Team Design

Intentional structuring of team composition, roles, authority, and rewards to maximize effectiveness.

Team Launch

Initial phase of team formation emphasizing goal setting, role clarity, trust building, and norms establishment.

Team Process Management

Ongoing activities that monitor and improve a team’s communication, decision making, and conflict resolution.

Test Reliability

Consistency of a selection test in producing stable, repeatable results under similar conditions.

Test Validity

Extent to which a selection test measures what it intends and accurately predicts job performance.

Whistleblower

Employee who reports suspected illegal or unethical activities to internal or external authorities.

Work Standards Approach

Appraisal method comparing an employee’s performance to pre-established objective output or quality standards.

Workers’ Compensation

State-mandated insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured on the job.

360 Evaluation

Appraisal that gathers performance feedback from a manager, peers, subordinates, and the employee’s self-assessment.

401(k) Plan

Defined contribution retirement plan allowing employees to defer wages pre-tax (or Roth after-tax) with possible employer match.