OBHR 3330: Human Resource Management - First Exam Sample
OBHR 3330: Human Resource Management - First Exam Sample
General Instructions
Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the one BEST answer and mark it on the bubble sheet with a pencil.
Exam Paper Color: Write the color (White) of your exam paper on the top right hand corner of your bubble sheet.
Submission: Hand in both the bubble sheet and the exam upon completion. No re-entrance is allowed once you leave the exam hall.
Time Limit: You have 75 minutes to complete the exam.
Integrity Statement: Complete the following statement: I have neither given nor received aid during this exam.
Signature:
Print Your Name: _
Student ID number: __
Section number: __
For Use by the Examiners
Q1-Q10 ( )
Q11-Q20 ( )
Q21-Q30 ( )
Q31-Q40 ( )
Q41-Q50 ( )
Total: __
Multiple Choice Questions
Each question is worth 2 points.
Questions 1-10
refers to the policies, practices, and systems that influence employees' behavior, attitudes, and performance.
A) Total quality management
B) Financial management
C) Human resource management
D) Production and operations management
E) Competency management
Holly was hired recently by her firm to provide coaching to a work unit that is underperforming. This is part of the function of HR.
A) recruitment and selection
B) compensation and benefits
C) employee relations
D) personnel policies
E) performance management
When Jane responded to Ted's email about how to find information on benefits and compensation on his own, Jane was providing
A) performance management.
B) shared service.
C) employee engagement.
D) talent management.
E) self-service.
Traditionally, the HRM department was primarily a(n)
A) proactive agency.
B) finance expert.
C) employer advocate.
D) administrative expert.
E) payroll expert.
The academic article by Takeuchi, Lepak, Wang, and Takeuchi (2007) found which of the following:
A) HR practices as a whole influence firm performance positively through its influence on employee ability and motivation collectively.
B) A system of HR practices influences firm performance only directly.
C) Japanese firms operate in a different way than American firms.
D) The impact of a system of HR practices are affected by the environment.
E) A system of HR practices need to fit with the strategy pursued by the firm.
When an HR professional is evaluated on how well she embraces inclusion and how effectively she works with diverse populations, she is being evaluated on her competency in
A) organizational navigation.
B) HR technical expertise and practice.
C) global and cultural effectiveness.
D) business acumen.
E) critical evaluation.
When an HR professional is evaluated on how well he understands organizational metrics and their relationship to business success, he is being evaluated on his competency in
A) relationship management.
B) organizational navigation.
C) business acumen.
D) business communication.
E) ethical practice.
When a company outsources its HR activities, which function is most likely to be outsourced?
A) compensation and benefit administration.
B) training and development.
C) recruitment and selection.
D) employee relations.
E) job design and analysis.
A company competing through sustainability is likely to
A) place increased value on intangible assets.
B) avoid social and environmental responsibilities.
C) emphasize productivity more than quality.
D) adapt badly to changes in the labor force.
E) provide low-quality products and services.
Typically when a company is in the news, it is because the company failed to be sustainable. Which of the following best describes its failure?
A) The company is able to meet the business needs at the cost of environmental responsibilities.
B) The company is pursuing economic goals despite social and ethical concerns.
C) The company has developed socially responsible strategies at the cost of profits.
D) The company is willing to sacrifice the business and other needs to support the needs of its competitors.
E) The company is unable to meet the business needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Questions 11-20
Che was being recruited by a competitor due to her success at her current company in getting several new patents. This is an example of capital.
A) social
B) customer
C) human
D) intellectual
E) financial
Aileen, the CEO of a company, appraises her managers based on how well they empower their employees. Which of the following managers is Aileen likely to rate the highest in this regard?
A) Hector, who gives clear instructions to his subordinates and expects them to follow the orders exactly as given
B) Melanie, who asks her subordinates to always check with her before making any decisions
C) Jing, who prefers that members of his team always report to him what they do throughout the day
D) Zhaphelan, who assigns responsibility to her subordinates and intervenes only when there is a need
E) Darnell, who assigns complete authority to his subordinates and does not offer any guidance
is a systematic, planned strategic effort by a company to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers.
A) Talent management
B) Workforce analytics
C) Performance appraisal
D) Training and development
E) Employee engagement
Which of the following is true of a balanced scorecard?
A) It indicates the value of a company based on its competitive demands.
B) It depicts a company from the perspective of internal and external customers.
C) It measures a company's performance based on the business strategy adopted by it.
D) It should not be used to link HRM activities and a company's business strategy.
E) It guides companies to increase the time spent on new product and service development.
Which of the following statements is true about Generation X?
A) It includes people who were born between 1925 and 1945.
B) Its members grew up much before the personal computer was invented.
C) Its members value skepticism and informality.
D) It is called the "me" generation.
E) Its members prefer close supervision and has a lot of patience.
Today’s workforce is changing. Many recent college graduates will expect to be allowed to work a flexible schedule that meets their needs. How is this different from the baby boomer generation?
A) They surrender to establishments.
B) They lack social conscientiousness.
C) They do not conform to rules.
D) They are considered to be workaholics.
E) They focus on maintaining a hierarchy, even at the cost of justice.
Which of the following arguments states that companies with the best reputations for managing diversity will win the competition for talent?
A) System flexibility argument
B) Marketing argument
C) Employee attraction and retention argument
D) Problem-solving argument
E) Creativity argument
Which of the following, if true, would support reshoring as a strategy for a U.S. firm?
A) Rising labor costs overseas
B) Increasing wage costs in the United States
C) Increasing public support for offshoring in the United States
D) Decreasing health and safety requirements overseas
E) Decreasing cost of living overseas
How does employees’ use of mobile devices offer an advantage to companies?
A) Companies do not need to lease storage space in the cloud.
B) Employees have access to work information at any time or location.
C) Companies can decrease spending on desktop computers and software.
D) The devices facilitate automation of key HR and business practices.
E) It minimizes social networking by employees during business hours.
When an organization develops integrated manufacturing systems such as advanced manufacturing technology and just-in-time inventory control, it needs to assess the employee skills required to run these systems and train them accordingly. These assessments and training programs intended to enable an organization to achieve its goals fall under
A) strategic human resource management.
B) the job characteristics model.
C) diversity management.
D) the employee stock ownership plan.
E) participative management.
Questions 21-30
Selena is leading the strategic groups through an exercise to define the company's mission and goals through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. She is employing
A) strategy implementation.
B) strategy formulation.
C) selection and training.
D) task design.
E) strategy evaluation.
Saturn Inc. is a large manufacturer of footwear and accessories. It has always lagged behind its closest competitor, Hexagon Inc. It plans to overtake Hexagon by leveraging its strength in women's footwear and entering markets in the Midwest that it had traditionally ignored. Saturn Inc. is in the phase.
A) strategy implementation
B) strategy formulation
C) administrative linking
D) selecting and training
E) task designing
Which of the following statements is true of the administrative linkage level between the human resource management function and the strategic management function?
A) In this level, the human resource management department is completely divorced from any component of the strategic management process.
B) This level recognizes the importance of human resources in implementing the strategic plan.
C) In this level, the human resource management designs systems and/or programs that implement the strategic plan.
D) This level allows for consideration of human resource issues during the strategy formulation process.
E) In this level, the human resource management functions are built right into the strategy formulation and implementation processes.
Which of the following is true of one-way linkage?
A) In this level, the human resource management executive has no time or opportunity to take a strategic outlook toward human resource issues.
B) It precludes the company from considering human resource issues while formulating the strategic plan.
C) In this level, the human resource management functions are built right into the strategy formulation process.
D) In this level, the human resource management function is involved in both strategy formulation and strategy implementation.
E) It lets the human resource management executive give strategic planners information about the company's human resource capabilities.
Dionne, the HR manager, has been asked to share issues in the strategy formulation process. How do you know this is part of a two-way linkage?
A) The strategic planning function and the human resource management function are interdependent.
B) The two-way linkage level is the lowest level of integration.
C) The human resource management executive has no time to take a strategic outlook toward human resource issues.
D) The human resource function is limited to monitoring day-to-day activities.
E) The strategic planning function and the human resource management function are completely dependent.
A common practice for companies in today's market is to look within at what is working and what is not. This is an example of a(n)
A) job analysis.
B) internal analysis.
C) job characteristics model.
D) competitor analysis.
E) job modeling.
External analysis and internal analysis combined constitute the
A) value analysis.
B) training analysis.
C) development analysis.
D) SWOT analysis.
E) recruitment analysis.
Using websites like Indeed.com, Monster.com, and LinkedIn, a company can begin
A) selection.
B) recruitment.
C) training.
D) development.
E) appraisal.
When Clean Motors condensed all its parts factories into one large location, the company increased research and development and customer service, and decreased its sales force. How would this practice help the company to become a low-cost producer?
A) The company created a product that was different from other products in the market.
B) The company constructed efficient large-scale facilities.
C) The company invested heavily in branding its product.
D) The company invested in creating a unique customer service process.
E) The company started using the latest machines for its production facility.
Which of the following statements is true of intended and emergent strategies?
A) The new focus on strategic human resource management has tended to focus primarily on emergent strategies.
B) Intended strategies and emergent strategies are very similar to each other in the way they are developed.
C) Emergent strategies can be thought of as what organizations intend to do as opposed to what they actually do.
D) Most emergent strategies are identified by those who are at the top of the organizational hierarchy.
E) Intended strategies are the result of the rational decision-making process used by top managers as they develop a strategic plan.
Questions 31-40
A company where employees are in a constant state of assimilating knowledge through monitoring the environment, making decisions, and flexibly restructuring the company to compete in that environment is known as a organization.
A) legacy
B) transactional
C) downsized
D) traditional
E) learning
Benjamin, a plant manager, sets targets for his work lines every week. He rewards those who succeed and he makes note of those who do not reach their set target, placing them on warning. How would you describe this company's cost strategy?
A) The company performs tasks that are not independent.
B) The company has a long-term focus.
C) The company has a high concern for quantity.
D) The company is willing to take risks.
E) The company undertakes challenging and nonrepetitive work.
Which of the following is true regarding the differentiation strategy?
A) The differentiation strategy cannot protect a company from price sensitivity.
B) Brand images play a negligible role in differentiation strategies.
C) Companies using the differentiation strategy have to build large-scale facilities.
D) Companies have to control their overhead costs to use the differentiation strategy.
E) Companies achieve above-average returns if they succeed in their differentiation strategy.
Every quarter, a company evaluates employees based on their activities and outcomes aligned with the organization’s objectives. This then leads to discussions of future individual goals and professional development opportunities. This practice demonstrates that a company has a practice of
A) divestment.
B) performance management.
C) differentiation.
D) job enlargement.
E) realistic job preview.
Pavi, an employee with Manor Electricals, has been transferred to a different division within the company. To facilitate a smooth transition, the company has initiated a program for Pavi that will provide her with the knowledge and skills required to perform the new role effectively. Which of the following human resource management practices did Manor Electricals perform?
A) Training
B) Job analysis
C) Performance management
D) Selection
E) Recruitment
Which of the following amendments is called the equal protection clause?
A) Fourteenth Amendment
B) Sixteenth Amendment
C) Eighteenth Amendment
D) Twentieth Amendment
E) Third Amendment
Which of the following is a part of the U.S. government's executive branch?
A) District courts
B) Committee on Indian Affairs
C) Select Committee on Ethics
D) Congress
E) The president
Once a law is passed in Congress it must be signed by the before it becomes law.
A) president pro tempore of the Senate
B) secretary of state
C) attorney general
D) president of the United States
E) speaker of the House
Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, required all federal contractors and subcontractors to
A) deny payments to private contractors based on the availability of money.
B) pay taxes for the capital goods exported from other countries for operation.
C) form and implement private laws that are consistent with the Constitution.
D) engage in affirmative action programs to hire and promote minorities.
E) refrain from exporting their services to projects in foreign countries.
Recently a few southern state confederate monuments have been removed. There were many protests on both sides. Which amendment did those in favor most likely cite?
A) Fourth Amendment
B) First Amendment
C) Fifteenth Amendment
D) Thirteenth Amendment
E) Fourteenth Amendment
Questions 41-50
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits discrimination against employees over the age of
A) 30.
B) 35.
C) 40.
D) 18.
E) 15.
Directives issued and amended unilaterally by the president are known as
A) judicial decisions.
B) presidential vetoes.
C) presidential bills.
D) executive orders.
E) constitutional amendments.
Which of the following agencies is responsible for investigating and resolving discrimination complaints, gathering information, and issuing guidelines?
A) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
B) U.S. Department of Labor
C) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
D) U.S. Department of Commerce
E) Labor Commission
Which of the following best describes the consent decree that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enters into with an organization that has been found to be discriminating?
A) It is a decree that permits a victim to sue the organization that has victimized him or her based on color, religion, gender, or place of birth.
B) It is a decree through which the organization agrees to furnish the details regarding the extent of diversity among its staff.
C) It is a decree through which the organization accepts it has committed discrimination without imposing any requirements to prevent discrimination in the future.
D) It is an agreement between the EEOC and the organization that the organization will cease certain discriminatory practices.
E) It is an agreement that binds the organization to respect the rights of its employees to give consent to the nature of conditions at the workplace.
Which of the following agencies or institutions is responsible for enforcing the executive orders that cover companies doing business with the federal government?
A) U.S. District Court
B) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
C) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
D) U.S. Department of Commerce
E) Center for Civil and Human Rights
Jason, an African-American, and Robert, a Caucasian, both experienced welders, apply for two openings at Virgo Inc. Robert is hired and Virgo continues to look for candidates to fill the other position. Jason alleges racial discrimination by Virgo, but Virgo denies this. Which of the following statements would both negate Jason's case and support Virgo's case?
A) Virgo deals in building equipment that requires a certified welder and Jason is a certified welder.
B) Virgo deals in building equipment that requires a certified welder and Robert is a certified welder.
C) Virgo has had a history of discrimination.
D) Virgo has never had a history of discrimination.
E) Virgo deals in building equipment that requires a certified welder and Jason is not a certified welder.
A common interview practice is to have the candidate create a Power Point presentation on how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. This would be an example of
A) disparate treatment.
B) reasonable accommodation.
C) quid pro quo.
D) internal discrimination.
E) disparate impact.
48.Which of the following statements is true of disparate treatment and disparate impact?
A) The discriminating individual's intent is irrelevant in disparate treatment.
B) For there to be discrimination under disparate treatment, there has to be intentional discrimination.
C) A selection practice that results in disparate impact is necessarily illegal in nature.
D) The four-fifths rule for discrimination is not applicable to disparate impact.
E) In a disparate impact case, the defendant is required to pay compensatory and punitive damages to the plaintiff.
Which of the following analyses uses the difference between the expected representation for minority groups and the actual representation to determine whether the difference between these two values is greater than would occur by chance?
A) Utilization rule
B) Mixed-motive rule
C) Prima facie rule
D) Standard deviation rule
E) Four-fifths rule
At a meeting held during Passover (a major Jewish festival), there are two buffet lines. One has matzo and no shrimp and the other has bread and shrimp. This is an example of a
A) disparate treatment.
B) disparate impact.
C) reasonable accommodation.
D) pattern and performance.
E) quid pro quo discrimination.