Functions of Human Resources (D351) – Western Governors University 2025 Edition | Complete Study Guide with Practice Questions, Thorough Summaries, Correct Answers, and Step-by-Step Explanations to Help You Excel in HR Exams and Assignments

disciplines of HRM

1. The legal Environment EEO, and Diversity management

2. Staffing

3.Training and development

4.Emplolee and labor relations

5. compensation and benefits

6. saftey and security

7.Ethics and sustainability

8. People analytics

4 Critical dependent variables

1. Productivity

2. Employee engagement

3. Turnover

4. Absenteeism

Organizational strategy

The process of creating, evaluating, and implementing decisions and objectives to achieve long-term competitive success

major components of external factors

1. Customers

2. Competition

3. Suppliers

4. Labor force

5. Shareholders

6. Society

7. Technology

8. The economy

9. Government

Workflow analysis

Study of the way work (inputs, activities, and outputs) moves through an organization

4 M's of Workflow analysis

1. Machines

2. Materials

3. Manpower

4. Money

5 major analysis method

1. Questionaries

2. Interviews

3. Dairies

4. Observation

5. Subject matter expert (SME) panel

4 job characteristics model

1. skill variety

2. task identity & signifiants

3. autonomy

4. feedback

HR forcasting

identifies the estimated supply and demand for the different types of human resources in the organization over some future period, based on analysis of past and present demand

Forecasting Methods

1.Quantitative forecasting

2.Trend Analysis

3.Ratio analysis

4. Regression analysis

Recruiter considerations

1. what policies to set

2. are we going to recruit from within

3. what primary recruiting sources will provide the best results.

Internal recruitment

1. open, targeted, or closed

2. promotable ratings and managerial sponsorship

3. advantages and disadvantages

External recruitment

the process of seeking new employees from outside the firm

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

UGESP

Training Process

1. Assessment

2. Objectives

3. Selection

4. Implementation

5. Evaluation

needs assessment

the process of identifying and prioritizing the learning needs of employees

the steps that make up the performance appraisal process

1. job analysis

2. develop standards and measurement methods of communication

3. Informal PA and coaching

4. prepare for and conduct formal PA

Preformance appraisal methods

1. Ranking Method

2. Graphics rating scales form

3. BARS form

4. Narrative method or form

5. MBO method

6. Critical incidents method

Levels of Evaluation methods

reaction

learning

behaviors

results

common success measures

Return on investment (ROI)

employee satisfaction

customer satisfaction

common methods of employee development

Formal Education - courses and degree programs.

Experience - job-related experiences, e.g., job rotation.

Employee assessments - reveal how employees think, interact with others, and manage their actions and emotions.

Psychological assessments - reveal employees' style of thinking, interaction, management, and leadership.

Emotional intelligence assessments - reveal how employees identify, understand, and use emotions to promote working relationships.

Strong onboarding program

help retain employees

create better culture

enhance cultural fit with new hires

key concepts of emotional intelligence

self-awareness

self-management

active listening

The intentional ability to listen to others, use the content and context of the communication and respond approriatley

Recruiting

the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants

labor market

the term for the external pool of candidates from which we draw our recruits

internal recruiting

the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants from current employees to people they know.

external recruiting

the process of engaging individuals from the labor market outside the firm to apply for a job

Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

a review of all of the tasks and requirements of the job, both good and bad

Yield Ratio

Is a calculation of how many people make it through the recruiting step to the next step in the hiring process.

What is AI incapable of supporting due to it's lack of advancement?

Analyzing speaking voices

A HRM is using a piece of recruiting software and is unable to see how various results are weighed in the recruiting system.

Which type of technology is this HRM using?

Black-Box Technology

The digital divide can cause an inadvertent disparate impact when it comes to the recruitment process.

TRUE

Message-Sending Process Model

Step 1: Develop rapport

Step 2: State your communication objective

Step 3: Transmit your message

Step 4: Check for understanding

Step 5: Get a commitment and follow up.

Feedback

The receiver's response to a message

Paraphrasing

restating the person's message in your own words

Retentive listening

Comprehend and remember the message

questionnaire

a written set of questions to be answered by employees to rate satisfaction positive/negative

FACES scale

a measure of job satisfaction in which raters place a mark under a facial expression that is most similar to the way they feel about their jobs

pulse surveys

short single question that may pop up on employees' computer screens at random times.

National Labor Relations Act

A 1935 law, also known as the Wagner Act, that guarantees workers the right of collective bargaining sets down rules to protect unions and organizers, and created the National Labor Relations Board to regulate labor-managment relations.

Labor Management Relations Act

Prohibits certain unfair union practices such as closed shops. Allowed individual states to pass right-to-work laws

Labor Management Reporting disclosure act

aimed at eliminating corruption in labor unions

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)

gives employees 60 days advance notice in case of plant closings or layoffs.

Conflict Managment Styles

Forcing

Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding

Accommodating

compensation

The total of an employee's pay and benefits

Compensatory selection model

Model allowing an individual to do poorly on one test but make up for that poor grade by doing exceptionally well on other tests

Conceptual and design skills

the ability to evaluate a situation, identify alternatives, select a reasonable alternative, and make a decision to implement a solution to the problem

Construct validity

An assessment that measures a theoretical concept or trait that is not directly observable

Corporate Social Responsibility

The concept that organizations have a duty to all societal stakeholders to operate in a manner that takes each of their needs into account

cost center

A division or department that brings in no revenue or profit for the organization—running this function only costs the organization money

criterion-related validity

An assessment of the ability of a test to measure some other factor related to the test

Critical-incidents method

a performance appraisal method in which a manager keeps a written record of positive and negative performance of employees throughout the performance period

Data analytics

Process of accessing large amounts of data in order to analyze those data and gain insight into significant trends or patterns within organizations or industries

Defined-benefit plan

A plan providing the retiree with a specific amount and type of benefits that will be available when the individual retires

Delayering

The process of changing the company structure to get rid of some of the vertical hierarchy (reporting levels) in an organization

Disparate Impact

unintentional discrimination

Disparate Treatment

intentional discrimination

Divergent thinking

The ability to find many possible solutions to a particular problem, including unique, untested solutions

Economic Value Added (EVA)

the amount by which company profits (revenues, minus expenses, minus taxes) exceed the cost of capital in a given year

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Program to help employees and their families with work or personal problems.

employee engagement

A combination of job satisfaction, ability, and a willingness to perform for the organization at a high level and over an extended period of time

Wage compression

occurs when new employees require higher starting pay than the historical norm, causing narrowing of the pay gap between experienced and new employees

What are two benefits of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

It prohibits children under 16 from working full-time during the school year.

It requires nonexempt employees to receive overtime pay.

Which three workers are exempt from receiving the current minimum wage according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

Restaurant servers

fishing guides

Boat salespeople

True/False An employer who willfully and repeatedly violates the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption rules for adult workers may face a penalty of up to $15,000 per violation and imprisonment.

False

What is an advantage of comparable worth laws?

They decrease the gender pay gap.

Maria is a human resources (HR) professional who manages the recruiting process, selecting the best candidates who apply and getting them settled into their jobs.

What is this professional's HR management specialty?

Staffing

Ahmed is a human resources (HR) professional whose role in an organization involves measuring and evaluating job satisfaction and employee engagement.

What is this HR professional's specialty?

Labor relations

Which two actions can a human resources (HR) consultant take to improve organizational success by creating a strong employee experience? Choose 2 answers.

Empathize with employees

Involve employees in solutions

What is an example of a business skill a human resources (HR) professional should possess?

Analyzing a profit and loss statement prior to a board meeting

A human resources (HR) professional is putting together a proposal on a budget and strategic plan that describes how the human resources department will contribute to the profitability of the organization.

Which skill is the HR professional using to accomplish this task?

Business

Which human resources (HR) skillset involves the ability to "see the bigger picture" concerning how a department and the overall organization operates?

Conceptual

Which skills comprise the ability to understand, communicate, and work well with individuals and groups through developing effective relationships?

Interpersonal

True/False Modern human resources (HR) managers seek out talent for their organizations instead of waiting for employees to quit before recruiting.

True

By enabling feedback on a regular basis for employers, social media has helped make ____ more efficient for organizations.

performance management

Which piece of modern human resource management (HRM) is still lacking in most organizations?

Dealing with data and people analytics

For organizations across the world, a lack of ____ for increasingly complex jobs is an ongoing problem.

knowledge workers

Which managerial action describes a generic cost leadership strategy?

Hiring workers with technical abilities and improving their efficiency

An organization wants to recruit employees who are adaptable and have the ability to innovate and create new processes in uncertain environments.

Which human resource management (HRM) strategy describes this scenario?

Differentiator

While conducting a SWOT analysis, a human resources (HR) professional notes that the organization has a lack of experienced workers.

Which part of the SWOT analysis would this be considered?

Weakness

True/False An organization's vision is specific and lays out the plan of what the organization is going to do

False

A human resources (HR) professional works in a company where decisions are made primarily by the executive leadership team.

Which organizational component would be considered high in this organization's structure?

Centralization

Centralization is the degree to which decision-making is concentrated in an organization. HR managers need to understand centralization to facilitate decision-making and better serve the organization.

An employee is asked to do something that is outside the scope of their normal job. The employee decides to complete the task rather than pass it to someone else.

Which type of organizational structure does this scenario describe?

Organic

organic organizational structures, employees are more likely to take on tasks that are outside of their job scope. It occurs in more dynamic environments.

An employee had an idea for improving the process of recording invoices. When she told her boss about the idea, the boss told her it was a good idea, but the department would stick with the old system, saying, "We have always done it this way, and it makes sense to us."

Which level of culture is this?

Assumptions

Assumptions are ideas that are so deeply ingrained that they are not questioned. They are held to be true, and people may feel threatened if they are challenged.

True/False In a bureaucratic organization, a human resources (HR) manager develops training programs that are specific and tailored to particular jobs.

True

An employee is planning to celebrate the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. The employee is reprimanded by his manager for requesting days off during this holiday, but the manager does not reprimand employees who take several days off for the Lunar New Year.

Which OUCH test principle is this manager violating?

The manager is not applying the rules in a uniform way.

Which concept is demonstrated when human resources (HR) uses a test for employment as a legitimate measure of an individual's ability to do the essential functions of a job?

Consistent effect

For example, a candidate might need to test above a certain level to show that they can carry out essential tasks for a job.

True/False Constructive discharge is a situation where an organization takes an adverse employment action against an employee because the employee brought discrimination charges against the organization.

False

Which two aspects have changed as a result of the #MeToo movement?

Complaints of sexual harassment are made on social media.

Perpetrators are often fired at the first offense.

An organization has adopted technology also used by competitors to increase efficiency. The organization's staff is unfamiliar with this technology.

Which type of employee does the organization need to remain competitive?

Knowledge

Which external factor influences a company's talent sourcing strategy?

Labor force

What defines what an organization wants to become?

Vision

Which external environmental factor determines acceptable business practices?

Society

A company sells furniture at a low price point, and consumers assemble the furniture once they purchase it.

Which type of market strategy is this?

Cost leadership

Which form must employees complete for a company to verify their identity and authorization to work in the U.S.?

I-9

Which advantage of using Facebook for recruitment saves a hiring manager time and money?

Reaches a larger pool of national talent

How does an updated job specification help with recruiting?

Defines a good match for the position

A human resources (HR) manager is updating the hiring process to attract more diverse candidates.

Which factor is the HR manager addressing?

Social work environment

An organization's legal department investigates an onsite incident involving a recent hire. The legal department concludes that the incident was the result of a negligent hire.

Who is primarily liable for the damages?

The employee's current organization