Finding the Right People: BFOQ in HRM

question

Human resource management (HRM)

answer

the process of finding, developing, and keeping the right people to form a qualified work force

question

Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)

answer

an expectation in employment law that permits sex, age, religion, and the like to be used when making employment decisions, but only if they are "reasonably necessary to the normal operation of that particular business." BFOQs are strictly monitored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

question

Disparate treatment

answer

international discrimination that occurs when people are purposely not given the same hiring, promotion, or membership opportunities because of their race, color, sex, age, ethnic group, national origin, or religious beliefs

question

Adverse impact

answer

unintentional discrimination that occurs when members of a particular race, sex, or ethnic group are unintentionally harmed or disadvantaged because they are hired, promoted, or trained (or any other employment decision) at substantially lower rates than others

question

Four-fifths (or 80 percent) rule

answer

a rule of thumb used by the courts and the EEOC to determine whether there is evidence of adverse impact. A violation of this rule occurs when the selection rate for a protected group is less than 80 percent, of four-fifths, of the selection rate for a nonprotected group

question

Sexual harassment

answer

a form of discrimination in which unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature occurs while performing one's job

question

Quid pro quo sexual harassment

answer

a form of sexual harassment in which employment outcomes, such as hiring, promotion, or simply keeping one's job, depend on whether an individual submits to sexual harassment

question

Hostile work environment

answer

a form of sexual harassment in which unwelcome and demeaning sexually related behavior creates an intimidating and offering work environment

question

Recruiting

answer

the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants

question

Job analysis

answer

a purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job

question

Job discrimination

answer

a written description of the basic tasks, duties, and responsibilities required of an employee holding a particular job

question

Job specifications

answer

a written summary of the qualifications needed to successfully perform a particular job

question

Internal recruiting

answer

the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants for people who already work in the company

question

External reciting

answer

the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants form outside the company

question

Job positioning is a

answer

procedure for advertising job openings within the company to existing employees

question

A career path is a

answer

planned sequence of jobs through which employees may advance within an organization

question

Selection

answer

the process of gathering information about job applicants to decide who should be offered a job

question

Validation

answer

the process of determining how well a selection test or procedure predicts future job performance. The better or more accurate the prediction of future job performance, the more valid a test is said to be

question

Human resource information systems (HRIS)

answer

a computerized system for gathering, analysis, storing, and disseminating information related to the HRM process

question

Employment references

answer

sources such as previous employers or coworkers who can provide job-related information about job candidates

question

Background checks

answer

procedures used to verify the truthfulness and accuracy of information that applicants provide about themselves and to uncover negative, job-related background information not provided by applicants

question

Specific ability tests (aptitude tests)

answer

test that measure the extent to which an applicant possesses the particular kind of ability needed to do a job

question

Cognitive ability tests

answer

tests that measure the extent to which applicants have abilities in perceptual speed, verbal comprehension, numerical aptitude, general reasoning, and spatial aptitude

question

Biographical data (bio-data)

answer

extensive surveys that ask applicants questions about their personal backgrounds and life experiences

question

Work sample tests

answer

tests that require applicants to perform tasks that are actually done on the job

question

Assessment centers

answer

a series of managerial simulations, graded by trained observers, that are used to determine applicants' capability for managerial work

question

An in-basket exercise is a

answer

paper-and-pencil test in which an applicant is given a manager's in-basket containing memos, phone messages, organizational policies, and other communications normally received by and available to managers

question

In a leadership group discussion, another common assessment center exercise, a

answer

group of six applicants is given approximately two hours to solve a problem, but no one is put in charge

question

Interview

answer

a selection tool in which company representatives ask job applicants job-related questions to determine whether they are qualified for the job

question

Unstructured interviews

answer

interviews in which interviewers are free to ask the applicants anything they want

question

Structured interviews

answer

interviews in which all applicants are asked the same set of standardized questions, usually including situational, behavioral, background, and job-knowledge questions

question

Training

answer

developing the skills, experience, and knowledge employees need to perform their jobs or improve their performance

question

Needs assessment

answer

the process of identifying and prioritizing the learning needs of employees

question

Training should never be conducted without first

answer

performing a need assessment

question

Training can be evaluated in four ways

answer

Reactions, Learning, Behavior, results

question

Performance appraisal

answer

the process of assessing how well employment are doing their jobs

question

Central tendency error occurs when

answer

assessors rate all workers as average or in the middle of the scale

question

Halo error occurs when

answer

assessors rate all workers as performing at the same level in all parts of their jobs

question

Leniency error occurs when

answer

assessors rate all workers as performing particularly well

question

Objective performance measures

answer

measures of job performance that are easily and directly counted or quantified

question

Subjective performance measures

answer

measures of job performance that require someone to judge or asses worker's performance

question

Behavior observation scales (BOSs)

answer

rating scales that frequency with which workers perform specific behaviors that are representative of the job dimensions critical to successful job performance

question

Rater training

answer

training performance appraisal raters in how to avoid rating errors and increase rating accuracy

question

360-degree feedback

answer

a performance appraisal process in which feedback is obtained from the boss, subordinates, peers and coworkers, and the employees themselves

question

Compensation

answer

the financial and nonfinancial rewards that organizations give employees in exchange for their work

question

Employee separation

answer

the voluntary or involuntary loss of an employee

question

Job evaluation

answer

a process that determines the worth of each job in a company by evaluating the market value of the knowledge, skills, and requirements needed to perform it

question

Piecework

answer

a compensation system in which employees are paid a set rate for each item they produce

question

Commission

answer

a compensation system in which employees earn a percentage of each sale they make

question

Profit sharing

answer

a compensation system in which a company pays a percentage of its profits to employees in addition to their regular compensation

question

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

answer

a compensation system that awards employees shares of company stock in addition to their regular compensation

question

Stock options

answer

a compensation system that gives employees the right to purchase shares of stock at a set price, even if the value of the stock increases above that price

question

Wrongful discharge

answer

a legal doctrine that requires employers to have a job-related reason to terminate employees

question

Downsizing

answer

the planning elimination of jobs in a company

question

Outplacement services

answer

employment-counseling services offered to employees who are losing their jobs because of downsizing

question

Early retirement incentive programs (ERIPs)

answer

programs that offer financial benefits to employees to encourage them to retire early

question

Phased retirement

answer

employees transition to retirement by working reduced hours over a period of time before completely retiring

question

Employee turnover

answer

loss of employees who voluntarily choose to leave the company

question

Functional turnover

answer

loo of poor-performing employees who voluntarily choose to leave a company

question

Dysfunctional turnover

answer

loss of high-performing employees who voluntarily choose to leave a company

question

Which of the following statements about federal employment law is true?

answer

The intent of anti-discrimination law is to make factors such as gender, race, or age irrelevant in employment decisions.

question

The fact that a 98-pound job candidate is not hired as a dock worker to move 60-pound boxes of produce is legal as a result of ____.

answer

bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQs)

question

A ____ is a purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job

answer

job analysis

question

Bona fide occupational qualifications would be most likely included in a(n) ____.

answer

job specification

question

Before beginning to recruit, organizations must ____.

answer

conduct a job analysis

question

Which of the following is an external recruiting method?

answer

advertising

question

Which of the following statements about Internet recruiting is true?

answer

The Internet allows companies to quickly reach large numbers of people.

question

____ is the process of gathering information about job applicants to decide who should be offered a job.

answer

Selection

question

____ are procedures used to verify the truthfulness and accuracy of information that applicants provide about themselves and to uncover negative, job-related background information not provided by applicants.

answer

Background checks

question

Which of the following questions is deemed acceptable (i.e., "legal") for employers to ask applicants during the selection process?

answer

Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

question

According to the text, if an employer were to use only one type of selection test, ____ would be the one to use.

answer

cognitive ability tests

question

____ interviewing typically leads to much more accurate hiring decisions (i.e., correctly predicting which job applicants will perform better, and therefore should be hired).

answer

Structured

question

A ____ is a performance appraisal process in which feedback is obtained from the boss, subordinates, peers, and co-workers as well as the employees themselves. -

answer

360-degree feedback

question

The term ____ refers to both the financial and nonfinancial rewards organizations give employees in exchange for their work.

answer

compensation

question

Which of the following is NOT an example of a pay-variability decision used to motivate employee performance?

answer

hierarchical pay

question

An ESOP is an ____.

answer

employee stock ownership plan

question

Sharron Grant-Burton was a marketing director for Covenant Care, owner of skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities. During a discussion of the fairness of the company's bonus structure with other marketing directors, Grant-Burton said she did not receive a bonus because her executive director "did not believe in them." Several days later, Grant-Burton was fired and told she had been terminated for a number of unspecified reasons, including her comments about bonuses. This is an example of a ____.

answer

wrongful discharge

question

Work Team

answer

A small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals and improving interdependent work processes.

question

The Advantages of Teams

answer

Teams can improve customer satisfaction, product and service quality, employee job satisfaction, and decision making.

question

The Disadvantages of Teams

answer

Teams can be prone to high turnover, social loafing, groupthink, and minority domination.

question

Cross-training

answer

Training team members to do all r most of the jobs performed by the other team members.

question

Social Loafing

answer

Behavior in which team members withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work.

question

When to use teams

answer

Teams should be used when there is a clear, engaging reason or purpose; when the job can't be done unless people work together; when rewards can be provided for teamwork and team performance; when ample resources are available; and when they will have clear authority to manage and change how work gets done.

question

When to not use teams

answer

Teams should not be used when there isn't a clear, engaging reason or purpose; when the job can be done by people working independently; when rewards are provided for individual effort and performance; when the necessary resources are not available; and when management will continue to monitor or influence how work gets done.

question

Traditional Work Group

answer

A group composed of two or more people who work together to achieve a shared goal.

question

Employee Involvement Team

answer

A team that provides advice or makes suggestions to management concerning specific issues.

question

Semi-Autonomous Work Group

answer

A group that has the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks of producing a product or service.

question

Self-Managing Team

answer

A team that manages and controls all of the major tasks of producing a product or service.

question

Self-Designing Team

answer

A team that has the characteristics of self-managing teams but also controls team design, work tasks and team membership.

question

Cross-Functional Team

answer

A team composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization.

question

Virtual Team

answer

A team composed of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed co-workers who use telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task.

question

Project Team

answer

A team created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks within a limited time.

question

Norms

answer

Informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior.

question

Cohesiveness

answer

The extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain in it.

question

The optimum size for a team

answer

6-9 members.

question

Forming

answer

The first stage of team development, in which team members meet each other, form initial impressions, and begin to establish team norms.

question

Storming

answer

The second stage of development, characterized by conflict and disagreement, in which team members disagree over what the team should do and how it should do it.

question

Norming

answer

The third stage of development, in which team members begin to settle into their roles, group cohesion grows and positive team norms develop.

question

Performing

answer

The fourth and final stage of development, in which performance improves because the team has matured into an effective, fully functioning team.

question

Structural Accommodation

answer

The ability to change organizational structures, policies and practices in order to meet stretch goals.

question

Bureaucratic Immunity

answer

The ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers or other parts of an organization.

question

Individiualism-Collectivism

answer

The degree to which a person believes that people should be self-sufficient and that loyalty to one's self is more important than loyalty to team or company.

question

Team Level

answer

The average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team.

question

Team Diversity

answer

The variances or differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team.

question

Interpersonal Skills

answer

Skills, such as listening, communicating, questioning and providing feedback, that enable people to have effective working relationships with others.

question

Skill-based pay

answer

A compensation system that pays employees for learning additional skills or knowledge.

question

Gainsharing

answer

A compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers.

question

Human Resource Management (HRM)

answer

Process of determining human resource needs and then recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating, compensating, and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals

question

Affirmative action

answer

employment activities designed to "right past wrongs" by increasing opportunities for minorities and women

question

Reverse discrimination

answer

Discrimination against whites or males in hiring or promoting

question

Job analysis

answer

study of what employees do who hold various job titles

question

Job Description

answer

A summary of the objectives of a job, type of job, responsibilities, working conditions, and relationship of the job to other functions

question

Job specifications

answer

Written summary of the minimum qualifications required of workers to do a particular job

question

Recruitment

answer

Set of activities used to obtain a sufficient number of the right employees at the right time

question

selection

answer

Process of gathering information and deciding who be hired, under legal guidelines, to serve the best interests of the individual and the organization

question

Contingent Worker

answer

Employees that include part-time workers, temporary workers, seasonal workers, independent contractors, interns, and co-op students

question

Training and development

answer

All attempts to improve productivity by increasing an employee's ability to perform.

question

Orientation

answer

Activity that introduces new employees to the organization

question

On-the-job training

answer

Training at the workplace that lets the employee learn by doing or by watching others for a while and then imitating them

question

Off-the-job training

answer

Internal or external training programs away from workplace that develop any of a variety of skills or foster personal development

question

Online training

answer

Training programs in which employees complete classes via the internet

question

Vestibule training

answer

Training done in schools where employees are taught on equipment similar to that used on the job

question

Job Simulation

answer

Use of equipment that duplicates job conditions and tasks so trainees can learn skills before attempting them on the job

question

Management Development

answer

Process of training and educating employees to become good managers, and then monitoring the progress of their managerial skills over time

question

Networking

answer

Process of establishing and maintaining contacts with key managers in and outside the organization and using those contacts to weave strong relationships that serve as informal development systems

question

Mentor

answer

An experienced employee who supervises, coaches, and guides lower-level employees by introducing them to the right people and generally being their organizational sponsor

question

Performance Appraisal

answer

Evaluation that measures employee performance against established standards in order to make decisions about promotions, compensation, training or termination

question

Fringe benefits

answer

Benefits such as sick-leave pay, vacation pay, pension plans and health plans that represent additional compensation beyond base wages

question

Cafeteria-style fringe benefits

answer

Fringe benefits plan that allows employees to choose the benefits they want up to a certain dollar amount

question

Flextime plan

answer

Work schedule that gives employees some freedom to choose when to work, as long as they work the required number of hours

question

Core time

answer

In a flextime plan, the period when all employees are expected to be at their job stations

question

Compressed workweek

answer

Work schedule that allows employees to work a full number of hours per week but in fewer days

question

Job sharing

answer

Arrangement whereby two part-time employees share one full-time job

question

the advantages of teams - teams improve...

answer

-customer satisfaction -product and service quality -product development speed end efficiency -employee job satisfaction +cross-training -decision making

question

the disadvantages of teams

answer

-initially high turnover -social loafing -groupthink -minority domination

question

factors that encourage people to withhold effort in teams

answer

-the presence of someone w/ expertise -the presentation of a compelling argument -lacking confidence in one's ability to contribute -an unimportant or meaningless decision -a dysfunctional decision-making climate

question

autonomy

answer

the degree to which workers have the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs

question

cross-functional teams

answer

a team composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization

question

virtual teams

answer

a team composed of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task

question

project teams

answer

a team created to complete a specific, one-time tasks within a limited time

question

social loafing

answer

behavior in which team members withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work

question

cross-training

answer

training team members to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members

question

traditional work group

answer

a group composed of two of more people who work together to achieve

question

employee involvement team

answer

a team that provides advice or makes suggestions to management concerning specific issues

question

semi-autonomous work group

answer

a group that has the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks of producing a product or service

question

self-managing team

answer

a team that manages and controls all of the major tasks of producing a product or service

question

self-designing team

answer

a team that has the characteristics of self-managing teams but also controls team design, work tasks, and team membership

question

team norms

answer

informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior

question

team cohesiveness

answer

the extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain in it

question

team size (large)

answer

in very large teams, members find it difficult to get to know one another, and team can splinter into subgroups

question

team size (small)

answer

very small groups may lack diversity and knowledge found in large teams

question

team size (just right)

answer

for most teams, the right size is between 6 to 9 people

question

cognitive conflict (good)

answer

members disagree because of different experiences and expertise

question

affective conflict

answer

results in hostility, anger, resentment, distrust, cynicism, apathy

question

stretch goals

answer

extremely ambitious goals that workers don't know how to reach

question

individualists

answer

put their own welfare and interests first

question

collectivists

answer

put group interests ahead of self

question

team level

answer

the average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team

question

team diversity

answer

variances or differences in ability, personality, or any other factor on a team

question

skill-based pay

answer

pay employees for learning additional skills or knowledge

question

gainsharing

answer

companies share the financial value of performance gains w/ their workers

question

nonfinancial rewards

answer

vacations, t-shirts, awards, certificates

Finding the Right People: BFOQ in HRM

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards