hr1 – Flashcards

Andrew was excited to be hired as the Human Resources Manager for Uptodate Inc., a large firm in his hometown. On his second week at his new job, he was invited to join in a meeting with the Senior Administrative team to discuss the potential expansion of the business into a new product area. In this meeting, Andrew was asked to input into the discussion by indicating the potential effects on the firm's human resources. He was ready for this question! As the discussion continued, it became evident that the Senior Administrative team had not considered the major forces facing a Canadian organization today. Although Andrew was very familiar with the population and workforce in the community, he needed time to determine whether they would be of sufficient number, skill set, and productivity level to meet the expansion needs of Uptodate Inc. If not, Andrew would have to consider other options to source Uptodate Inc.'s future employee needs. As he left the meeting, he was excited about doing the research necessary to bring to the next Senior Administrative team meeting next week. 1. Uptodate Inc. could be considered an organization that practices A. human resource management B. proactive human resource management C. reactive human resource management D. personnel management E. human relations management

2. Increasingly top managers, such as the Senior Administrative team at Uptodate Inc, are recognizing that long-term organizational success depends upon an organization's A. infrastructure B. human resources C. investment strategy D. environment E. rules and policies

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the major external forces facing Canadian organizations today A. economic forces B. demographic forces C. cultural forces D. technological forces E. transportation forces

4. In considering the number and skill set of available people (potential employees) in his hometown, Andrew is evaluating the ______________ of the community. A. economic forces B. cultural forces C. demographic forces D. legal forces E. technological forces

5. In considering the productivity level of the people (potential employees) in his hometown, Andrew is evaluating the ______________ of the community. A. economic forces B. demographic forces C. cultural forces D. legal forces E. technological forces

6. If Andrew is unable to find the appropriate complement of people to hire in his hometown that will meet the needs of the expansion being discussed, which of the following is NOT an option to suggest to Uptodate Inc. to meet their potential human resource needs? A. use contingent workers B. increase reliance on part-time workers C. hire contract workers D. outsourcing E. outplacement

7. Specifically related to the expansion decisions facing Uptodate Inc., Andrew has __________ within the organization. A. line authority B. functional authority C. empowered authority D. staff authority E. technical authority

8. In continuing to develop his role as Human Resource Manager at Uptodate Inc., to be successful, Andrew must display the following competencies EXCEPT A. a mastery of Uptodate's business B. a mastery of human resource management tools C. an intimate knowledge of Uptodate's financial procedures D. D)a superior ability to direct and manage change E. high personal credibility

Krista is exploring the opportunities that technological forces can provide to her organization. She has been hearing comments from her staff that she is old fashioned, and out of touch with the benefits of technology and how it can be used to improve the work-life balance of employees. 9. Krista's staff would be interested in the application of all of the following uses of technological forces to improve their work-life balance EXCEPT A. automation B. knowledge management C. telecommuting D. flexible work design E. information sharing

10. Benefits of automation of operations include all of the following EXCEPT A. increased predictability and reliability in operations B. higher standards of quality C. increased flexibility in operations D. union attitudes toward mechanization E. speed in operations

11. The people in organizations are considered human resources who: A. create objectives and accomplishments. B. are inanimate resources. C. are quantified on the balance sheet. D. have limited value to a company. E. are considered by all organizations as their most important assets.

12. Increasingly top managers are recognizing that long-term organizational success depends upon an organization's _____. A. infrastructure B. human resources C. investment strategy D. environment E. rules and policies

13. Some of the most successful Canadian organizations are those that motivate their employees by: A. paying above averages wages. B. allowing them to use the executive washroom. C. encouraging them to meet organizational challenges creatively. D. having a first-name policy only at all levels. E. providing flexible working hours.

14. Strategic human resource management refers specifically to: A. linking human resource procedures to organizational goals, employee needs, and societal demands. B. tactical methods and procedures to achieve specific strategies. C. developing knowledge workers in order to enhance corporate profits. D. human resource planning for corporate takeovers. E. strategically placed advertising for recruiting top quality employees.

15. When a human resource decision maker responds to personnel problems as they arise, this is an example of: A. proactive management. B. anticipated reaction management. C. reactive management. D. contextual management. E. management by objectives.

16. Among the major challenges facing Canadian business today are all the following except: A. economic challenges. B. demographic challenges. C. cultural challenges. D. legal challenges. E. transportation challenges.

17. A company that shows concern for the environment is responding to which type or organizational challenge? A. Technological B. Physical infrastructure C. Demographic D. Cultural E. Social

18. Canadian businesses currently face four critical economic forces: A. global trade, productivity improvement, gross profit margins and technology. B. productivity improvement, transportation issues, economic cycles and demographic changes. C. government legislation, global trade, global competition and survival during a recessionary cycle. D. gross profit margins, inventory control, international legislations and minimum wage requirements. E. economic cycles, global trade, productivity improvements and global competitiveness.

19. During a recessionary period, the following challenges face HR managers except: A. planning and implementing of employee layoffs. B. seeking wage concessions. C. facilitating employee counseling. D. formulating crisis management policies. E. increase compensation packages.

20. International trade has always been critical to Canada's prosperity and in fact, Canada exports, on a per capita basis. It is: A. a great deal, though less than the United States. B. more than the United States but less than Japan. C. more than both Japan and the United States. D. a great deal, though less than Japan. E. more than the United States and Japan combined.

21. Canada is the biggest trader in the Group of Eight industrialized nations. Approximately 74 percent of Canadian exports go to A. the UK B. Japan C. China D. India E. the United States

22. In order to capture the growing market opportunities abroad, Canadian firms must: A. continuously increase wages at home. B. increase the costs of production. C. lobby government to remove minimum wage and social security benefits. D. expand plants into countries closer to customers. E. export all manufacturing overseas.

23. The emergence of open borders has developed many opportunities for Canadian firms but one key drawback to Canadian firms and retaining talent is: A. cross-cultural barriers. B. immigration issues. C. poaching. D. high turnover rates. E. extensive cultural accommodations (i.e. time off for different religious holidays).

24. Productivity refers to: A. ratio of an organization's inputs to its outputs. B. ratio of an organization's outputs to its inputs. C. ratio of an organization's labour costs to its outputs. D. ratio of an organization's labour costs to its revenue. E. ratio of an organization's outputs to its labour costs.

25. One major challenge facing Canadian managers is: A. keeping wages down to developing world standards. B. decreasing quality to save money without losing sales. C. increasing advertising costs. D. decreasing focus on employment legislation. E. improving productivity while maintaining a high quality of work life.

26. Productivity technology can be measured as a(n) ________ by ________ ________ by ________. A. ratio; dividing; outputs; inputs B. efficiency quotient; dividing; inputs; outputs C. ratio; multiplying; inputs; outputs D. efficiency quotient; multiplying; outputs; inputs E. ratio; dividing; inputs; outputs

27. Outsourcing implications for human resource managers may include: A. initiating or increasing outplacement activities. B. more relaxed and amiable union negotiations. C. increased employee morale. D. the need for increased office space. E. increasing the size of the internal workforce.

28. Contracting out organizational tasks to outside agencies to reduce costs is referred to as ______. A. outplacing B. task enrichment C. task enlargement D. outsourcing E. process management

29. Technology enables organizations to manage their operations ________, often reducing ________ or capitalizing on new opportunities. A. innovatively; cost B. innovatively; waste C. innovatively; workloads D. efficiently; cost E. efficiently; workloads

30. ________ continues to be a technological force and opportunity that revolutionizes Canadian businesses and their HRM practices. A. Automation B. Diversity C. The North American Free Trade Act D. Email E. The skilled workforce

31. Technology has facilitated the following key developments in organizations except: A. flexibility in work design. B. more effective knowledge management. C. reduction in need for concrete policies and procedures. D. large amounts of data can be processed for managers. E. innovation in operations resulting in cost reduction.

32. The ________ has become a platform for ________ and interaction, which has profound impact on HRM activities A. Internet; distraction B. Intranet; communication C. Internet; communication D. Intranet; productivity E. Internet; productivity

33. Technology enables organizations to: A. reduce their operational efficiency, regardless of other factors. B. make information available with great speed. C. get constantly accurate information. D. receive less information. E. no longer rely on people.

34. The effects of technology on companies varies but in general it results in: A. non-traditional marketing strategies. B. reduced inventory controls. C. fewer communication tools. D. less streamlining of data. E. fewer human resource practices and procedures.

35. The reason(s) that organizations automate is (are) ______. A. speed B. better customer service C. operational flexibility D. higher quality standards E. all are reasons for automation

36. Demographic challenges facing organizations in the twenty-first century currently include all the following except: A. gender balance in the workplace. B. a shift towards knowledge workers. C. aging workforce. D. generational shift. E. technology.

37. Organizations face many demographic challenges, including all the following except: A. automation. B. increasing number of knowledge workers. C. older workers. D. better educated workers. E. more women employees.

38. The fastest growing type of worker in Canada over the last twenty-five years has been: A. service workers. B. factory workers. C. knowledge workers. D. data workers. E. health care workers.

39. Knowledge workers: A. transmit knowledge. B. manipulate knowledge. C. produce knowledge. D. run automated assembly lines. E. are another name for knowledgeable service workers.

40. Over the last few decades the educational attainment of Canadians has: A. remained stable. B. decreased slightly. C. increased dramatically. D. is not measurable by human resource managers. E. lead to an increased dropout rate.

41. The following is (are) true in regards to the education of Canadians: A. over 45% have a college or university degree. B. over 50% (age 16 or over) are functionally illiterate. C. approximately 19% of Canadian men and approximately 17% of Canadian women aged 25 or above hold a university degree or better. D. a little less than 10% drop out of school before they graduate. E. over 65% of all Canadians go to private schools.

42. The pressures of retaining older workers present the following challenges to HR managers except: A. expanded retirement benefits. B. variable work schedules. C. coordination of government benefits with company benefits. D. retraining programs. E. ensuring a balance of male and female workers.

43. The province with the highest proportion of the labour force aged 55 and over is ________. A. Saskatchewan B. Manitoba C. Ontario D. Quebec E. Newfoundland

44. Cultural challenges facing Canadian human resource managers include: A. social values at a societal level. B. a decreasingly diverse workforce. C. an increase in reliance on government regulations. D. global competition. E. unionization.

45. The second step in strategic human resource planning is: A. implementation of human resource strategies. B. review and evaluation of human resource strategies. C. analysis of organizational mission and goals. D. environmental analysis. E. analysis of organizational strategies.

46. The third step in strategic human resource planning is: A. implementation of human resource strategies. B. review and evaluation of human resource strategies. C. analysis of organizational mission and goals. D. environmental analysis. E. analysis of organizational strategies.

47. Organizational culture refers to: A. an organization's history and culture only. B. an organization's history, culture, philosophy, and unique way of doing things. C. the personal character of an organization's CEO. D. the internal layout and design of space. E. an organization's logo and its product and promotional literature.

48. All the below are common to most human resource departments except: A. developing job descriptions. B. establishing disciplinary systems. C. administering compensation systems. D. ensuring compliance with relevant legal requirements. E. develop all managerial reports within an organization.

49. All of the following are steps in strategic human resource management planning except: A. environmental analysis. B. analysis of organizational strengths and culture. C. examination of organizational mission and goals. D. union-management negotiations. E. awareness of organizational strategies.

50. In formulating strategy, the human resource department must focus on all the following except: A. planning for physical office space. B. attracting human resources. C. employee placement, development and evaluation. D. employee motivation and rewards. E. maintaining high performance.

51. A human resource audit uncovers better ways for the department to contribute to: A. organizational and management objectives. B. societal objectives and organizational objectives . C. employee and management objectives D. employee objectives and societal objectives . E. societal objectives, organizational objectives, and employee objectives.

52. Proactive human resource strategies refers to: A. strategies that anticipate human resource challenges. B. strategies that respond to human resource problems. C. strategies that encouraging employees to handle their own problems. D. strategies that predict future market share of the company. E. strategies that help the company adopt technological changes.

53. The daily responsibility for most human resource management activities lies with: A. each and every manager. B. the human resource department. C. the CEO or company president. D. the employee him/her-self. E. the company security officer.

54. Generally, the size of a human resource department depends largely on: A. whether or not an organization is unionized. B. the diversity of the employee population. C. the nature of the business. D. government regulations and legal requirements. E. the size of the organization.

55. Normally, under most decision making situations, human resource departments have __________ within the organization. A. line authority B. functional authority C. empowered authority D. staff authority E. transit authority

56. One difference between the job responsibilities of a line manager and a human resource manager is that a line manager would likely not: A. discipline employees. B. coach employees. C. decide on pay raises or bonuses (where contractually permitted). D. negotiate with unions. E. implement organizational change.

57. In the last thirty years, despite its enormous growth, what has been slow to evolve into a full-fledged profession? A. Human relations management B. Human resource management C. Human relations officers D. Human resources officers E. Human relations maintenance

58. To deal effectively with ever-increasing challenges, successful human resources managers must display the following competencies except: A. a mastery of their organization's business. B. a mastery of human resource management tools. C. an intimate knowledge of their organization's financial procedures. D. a superior ability to direct and manage change. E. high personal credibility.