BUS EXAM 3

In As new parents, Frank and Jeremy applied for family medical leave to care for their new infant son. According to U.S. law, Frank and Jeremy

are not paid during the 12-week period that each elect to take.

While Genevieve worked frantically at her part-time job at Fashion Zone preparing for the regional manager's visit in a few days, her department manager, told her: "Don't worry Genevieve, when I first started, I made $9.25 an hour too. It gets better!" Genevieve knew that her pay was the last thing that motivated her to do her work, she would prefer more freedom to be creative with the product displays. Genevieve would prefer to work with a __________ manager.

Theory Y

Triangle Percussion Company tried to implement a flextime system. However, after only a few months, they abandoned the new system. What is the most likely reason Triangle would drop its flextime plan?

It often made communication among employees more difficult.

\n Shadowing is another term used to refer to

on-the-job training.

The Storme Corporation wants to downsize but is concerned about the impact it will have on its remaining employees. One policy that might allow Storme to reduce its labor force without adversely affecting morale is to

offer early retirement benefits.

\n A disadvantage of flextime plans is that they often

require supervisors and managers to work longer hours.

Sanjay emigrated to the United States three months ago where he found a job working on an assembly line at an electronics manufacturer. When he came to the United States, Sanjay left his friends and family behind. Now he is lonely and hopes that his fellow employees will accept him so that he can build some lasting friendships. According to Maslow, Sanjay is looking to satisfy his

social needs.

What is an essential element of a job description?

the responsibilities and working conditions

\n In the past, Morgan’s only chance to learn how she was doing on the job came during performance reviews with her boss twice a year. Her company recently implemented a policy designed to give her and other employees detailed information about their job performance on a monthly basis. This suggests that the company now provides Morgan and her co-workers with more

feedback.

The __________ is a tactic police, firefighters, and other workers who are not legally allowed to strike sometimes use to express their frustration and displeasure with working conditions or pay.

blue flu

The changes in the American business system that have had the most dramatic impact on the workings of the free enterprise system are the changes in

the labor force.

\n Until a recent incident, Connor had always been very pleased with his part-time job at a local gas station. During one of his shifts, the store was burglarized. Although no one was hurt, Connor now feels anxious and fearful during his late-night shift. Management needs to be aware of Connor’s unmet __________ needs.

safety

When Greta began her Ph.D. program, she was immediately assigned to a female __________ who would serve as a coach and guide and help Greta meet the right people who could enhance her career. Her program also required __________, where she would spend four to six weeks in different labs, gaining experience and exposure to a variety of research in her field of study.

mentor; job rotation

\n A disadvantage of flextime plans is that they often

require supervisors and managers to work longer hours.

__________ is the term William Ouchi used to refer to the management approach typically used by firms in the United States.

Type A

\n __________ is the demand for equal pay for jobs requiring similar levels of education, training, and skill.

Comparable worth

\n While talking with a group of family and friends, Salena mentions that she was offered an impressive golden handshake by her employer. Which statement is she most likely to make next?

"I've already looked into using some of the money to go on a trip to Europe when I retire."

According to Victor Vroom, which question is an employee likely to ask before deciding to exert his or her maximum effort toward completing a task?

Is the reward for completing the task worth the effort involved?

A __________ allows workers to work the full number of hours per week in fewer days.

compressed workweek

A(n) __________ is a court order directing someone to do something or to refrain from doing something.

injunction

Before Big Rig Truckers allows new employees to operate the large trucks and trailers it uses to transport goods, employees are sent to a nearby classroom where they learn the safe and proper way to work with all of the equipment they will use when they perform their jobs. Big Rig Truckers is using a training technique known as

vestibule training.

Which statement identifies a key difference between a job description and a job specification?

A job description is a statement about the job, while a job specification is a statement about the person who does the job.

The ban-the-box rule affects companies by

prohibiting employers from asking questions about convictions on job applications.

When creating a job description, the HR manager may include

the specific responsibilities of the job.

\n The purpose of __________ is to increase an employee's ability to perform productively.

training and development

The generation born between 1980 and 1995 is known as

Generation Y.

\n A __________ plan gives employees some ability to adjust hours when they work, as long as they work the required number of hours.

flextime

\n Frank and Lillian Gilbreth thought that every job could be broken down into a series of elementary motions that they called

therbligs.

The __________ protects individuals over the age of 40 from discrimination based on age with respect to issues such as hiring, promotions, job benefits, and assignments.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Maslow was mainly concerned with explaining how

human motivation was related to a hierarchy of needs.

Casey’s Holiday Store typically sells over two-thirds of all its merchandise in November and December. Management has found that it must hire __________ workers during this period of increased business to supplement its permanent employees.

contingent

__________ workers have a higher skill level than their current job requires.

Underemployed

Mike is a supervisor at a small manufacturing plant. His pay starts at $635 per week. Mike is paid on a(n)

salary pay system.

According to Maslow, a higher-order need

becomes a source of motivation after lower-order needs are satisfied.

A department manager evaluated the performance of her employees as part of a performance appraisal process. If she follows the six-step appraisal process, the next step is

meet with employees to discuss the results.

\n In Silicon Valley, California, it is not unusual for highly skilled employees to stay at one company for about three years. These specialized employees have a mindset for rapid promotion. They believe that they have only themselves to blame if these high goals are not met. William Ouchi would categorize the management style that these employees operate under as

Type A.

it is estimated that firms lose __________ annually in productivity, absenteeism, and employee turnover due to caring for aging parents.

$34 billion

An important criterion that helps to determine the type of management style (Type A, J, or Z) that works best for firms is

the general culture of the firm.

One feature of the Taft-Hartley Act was that it

allowed individual states to pass right-to-work laws prohibiting compulsory union membership.

\n The __________, which is developed based on the previous four steps of the human resource planning process, addresses how the firm will accomplish a wide array of human resource functions such as recruiting, selecting, training and developing, appraising, compensating, and scheduling its employees.

strategic plan

\n The __________ protects individuals over the age of 40 from discrimination based on age with respect to issues such as hiring, promotions, job benefits, and assignments.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Selena has worked for the Sunshine Fruit Company for several years now and was recently recognized as one of the company's best employees. Her coworkers respect and admire her, and she feels good about herself. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy, the type of needs that are likely to motivate Selena in the future are

self-actualization needs.

\n Employees will perceive that their opinions are more valued if

they're provided settings where employees have the opportunity to converse with all levels of management.

\n Grace uses management by objectives in her office. Today, she is working with Reggie to teach him the key parts of a new software program that he can use in his work. She lets Reggie guide the teaching session and only jumps in when he has a question. What action is Grace using as she works with Reggie?

coaching

Although the skills learned do not always translate into profits for the company, __________ pay rewards the growth of both the individual and team participation.

skill-based

William Ouchi's Theory Z embraced which management ideal?

An employee could be promoted, but both evaluation and promotion would not happen quickly.

Job rotation helps lower-level managers prepare for higher-level positions by

exposing them to different functions within the organization, thus giving them the broad perspective needed by top managers.

Managers need to remember that motivational formulas should be

tailored to the individual.

What is an advantage of hiring contingent workers?

It is good strategy if the economic climate is uncertain.

One of the key functions of human resource management is

recruiting.

\n Marcus says he's working in his dream job. As an engineer for a major defense systems company, he is responsible for using sophisticated airplane and weaponry equipment that creates the exact conditions that one may experience using the equipment in a real-life situation. Marcus spends several hours each day performing

simulation training exercises.

Harassment that creates an intimidating or offensive work environment falls under the type of sexual harassment known as a(n)

hostile work environment.

\n In a __________ arrangement two part-time employees fill one full-time job.

job sharing

Computer and robotics training is sometimes performed in a nearby classroom-type setting. We refer to this near-the-job-training as

vestibule training.

\n Workers who are paid a __________ receive a fixed compensation weekly, biweekly, or monthly

salary

According to Herzberg, a sense of achievement, earned recognition, and interest in the work itself were all

important motivators.

\n The Hawthorne studies concluded that worker motivation

improved when employees felt like their ideas were respected.

The concept that a hierarchy of human needs could be used to explain motivation was developed by

Abraham Maslow.

The first federal minimum wage was established in 1938 by the

Fair Labor Standards Act.

\n __________ used the terms Theory X and Theory Y to describe different attitudes managers have about employees.

Douglas McGregor

Mike is a supervisor at a small manufacturing plant. His pay starts at $635 per week. Mike is paid on a(n)

salary pay system.

Online training courses are sometimes also called

distance learning.

\n Connor’s goal to sell his company's state-of-the-art diabetes pump to several foreign firms certainly could have gone better. Although none of the companies he visited turned him down, only one agreed to place an order. Representatives from one Indonesian firm and two Chinese firms asked him to come back again so they could get to know him better! This made Connor wonder, "Didn't they realize the expense of these international trips?" He is experiencing

the differences between high-context and low-context cultures.

The generation born between 1980 and 1995 is known as

Generation Y.

\n The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) consists of

a five-member panel appointed by the U.S. president.

Advertisements, public and private employment agencies, and college placement offices are all __________ sources that human resource managers can use in the recruiting efforts.

external

\n Stephanie spends three hours each day working as an online customer service representative for a retailer. She can choose her own hours, within reason. The job works out well for her since she has a new baby that she cares for much of the day. The retailer does not provide her or the other 200 customer service reps with workspace, which constitutes a sizeable cost savings for the company. Stephanie participates in

home-based work.

\n A __________ allows workers to work the full number of hours per week in fewer days.

compressed workweek

\n According to __________, the amount of effort employees devote to a task depends on their expectations of the outcome.

expectancy theory

A problem with equity judgments is that employees often __________ their own contributions to the success of a business.

overestimate

According to expectancy theory, the amount of effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their

expectations of the outcome.

When managing your human resources, __________ is the process of deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, to serve the best interests of the individual and the organization.

selection

\n Which situation would indicate that a manager failed to apply the basic concepts of expectancy theory?

Employees are unwilling to work toward achieving an important goal because they believe the reward offered is not sufficient to justify the effort.

Equity theory states that employees will perform well if they

believe the reward they receive fairly compensates them for their efforts when compared to others in similar positions.

\n A __________ plan gives employees some ability to adjust hours when they work, as long as they work the required number of hours.

flextime

\n The __________ was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and has since become a formidable regulatory force in the administration of human resource management

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

A job analysis results in two written statements. They are

the job description and the job specification.

In terms of employees communicating with management, one way employees can be motivated on the job is if

there are procedures for encouraging open communication.

\n Marvin took a job with a company that strives to market several new consumer products each year. Prior to this position, he worked in a university research lab where he studied chemistry. He accepted the new position because the salary was significantly above what he previously made. Within a month at the new job, his manager began to have reservations about bringing him on board. Marvin seemed to prefer to work independently of others, and when he did interact with his new colleagues, he passed along subtle reminders of his extensive and superior academic credentials. From a recruitment standpoint, this situation serves as an indication of

the importance of finding talent that also fits well with the corporate culture.

The degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of others in the organization is referred to as

task significance.

\n __________ is based on the notion that setting ambitious but attainable goals will improve motivation and performance if the goals are accepted, accompanied by feedback, and facilitated by organizational conditions.

Goal-setting theory

According to the box “Making Ethical Decisions,” the easiest way to distinguish a quality internship from one that is less than satisfactory is to

review the tasks associated with the position.

\n As companies restructure to create greater efficiencies in their operations, there is a greater opportunity for __________ where management combines specialized tasks in one job, asking employees to broaden their scope of responsibilities.

job enlargement

\n When determining the human resources needs for a well-known engineering firm, the HR director realized that the company lacked engineers under the age of 30. The company could not afford to get caught short in this competitive business climate. An important recruitment strategy for the HR director's department was to start attending college fairs as well as considering hiring interns. We define his recruitment efforts as developing relationships with

external sources.

The original goal of the Hawthorne studies was to determine

the level of illumination that was associated with optimum productivity.

Many firms now offer their employees __________ benefits, such as on-site haircuts and concierge service, which help employees maintain a balance between work and family life.

soft

Salespeople often are paid a __________ based on a percentage of their sales.

commission

\n Which statement about worker motivation is most consistent with the findings of the Hawthorne studies?

Employees are more motivated if they feel they are part of a special group or project.

In coming years, high-tech growth areas such as computer technology, biotechnology, and robotics are likely to experience a

shortage of skilled labor.

The Hawthorne studies were conducted by __________ and his colleagues from Harvard University.

Elton Mayo

\n The findings of the Hawthorne studies led researchers to look more closely at how __________ could lead to better productivity.

the human side of motivation

\n Misty worked in the student bookstore at her college. Although she liked the retail atmosphere, there was little opportunity for advancement because the three persons in management positions were doing well in their jobs and not planning to retire very soon. When the college opened a new branch, Misty seized the opportunity to be reassigned to the new location and manage the smaller operation. Her change was not a promotion, it was considered a(n) __________; however, it served to improve her morale because she was performing more tasks and had greater responsibility than at the previous bookstore.

lateral transfer

During her annual review, Rachel admitted to her supervisor that she is more productive in a quieter environment. The openness of her office setting and the recent increase in staff that came to her for training made it difficult for her to process as many driver application forms in one day as she had in the past. The supervisor agreed to move Rachel’s desk to the back of the office and create a barrier with plants. The supervisor would take a more active role in training new employees, so they would not be coming to Rachel with questions. In HR, we refer to this action as creating

accommodations.

At the Greener Goods Company, employees are involved in decision making and promised long-term employment. The employees follow a somewhat specialized career path and have individual responsibility for results. In addition, the company provides health and wellness courses for all employees and their families. Greener Goods’ approach is an example of

Theory Z management.

The characteristic of work that is concerned with the amount of direct and clear information employees receive about their performance is called

feedback.

__________ used the terms Theory X and Theory Y to describe different attitudes managers have about employees.

Douglas McGregor

The first step toward establishing open communication within an organization is to

create an organizational culture that rewards listening.

_________ is the term William Ouchi used to refer to the management approach typically used by firms in the United States.

Type A

\n Rick is a human resource manager at a nonprofit. If Rick's organization is like most companies today, which statement about his job is likely to be the most accurate?

Government laws and regulations concerning hiring, worker safety, pay, and unionization will make Rick's work complex and challenging.

In 2011, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. What was the scope of the changes?

The amendment widened the scope of what disabilities are covered under the act.