HRM WGU C232 Practice Set 2, 3, 4 Already Passed!!

HRM WGU C232 Practice Set 2, 3, 4 Already Passed!! What are the four implicit HR objectives? ANS- 1. Improve productivty, 2. Imrpove quality of work life, 3. ensure legal compliance, 4. foster ethicaly behavior How does HR influence each of these HR objectives ANS- 1. productivity- hr can influence work organization and design, increase output with higher quality; 2. provide opportunities for employees; 3. hr must be familiar with laws and regulations that affect hiring and pay descions, promotion activities, health and safety regulations; 4. keep ethical and moral behavior (utilitarian and deontological) What are the six major trends have been identified that represent the major events that influenced the growth and importance of HRM ANS- 1. increased competition; 2. the costs and benefits associated with HR utilization; 3. productivity changes (resulting from changes in techonology, captial investment, the recession, capital utilization, outsourcing, and government policies); 4. the increasing pace and complexity of social, cultural, legal, demographic, and educational changes; 5. the symptoms of dysfunction in the workplace; 6. societal trends of the 21st century HR influences which internal environment factors ANS- interal enviroment includes factors that the organization controls. Ex: the organization's culture, product development, mission and strategy are all part of the interal enviroment How doe the internal environment influences HR polices? ANS- culture represents the organization's value system. Prodcut development, mission, and strategy What does the acronym SWOT stand for and why would a company conduct a SWOT analysis ANS- Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Used to asses the firm's abilities and capacities along with forces in the external enviroment What are the six HR competencies? ANS- 1. provide transformational leadership; 2. collaborate and resolve strategic challenges within the firm; 3. encourage real employee involvement; 4. empower and facilitate learning as well as change and decision-making; 5. design process and performance systems; ain a global business perspective What are the eight characteristics of a strong HR professional? ANS- 1. knowledge of the business and industry; 2. greater understanding of economic phenomena; 3. analytical abilities; 4. leadership and influence; 5. propensity for action; 6. engagement; 7. political awareness; 8. customer focus Explain the difference between an HR generalist and an HR specialist. ANS- HR Generalist: usually provide guidance, support management and serve as a source of help and information on human resource matters; HR Specialist: responsible for specific hrmfunctions within the organizatin (EX: employment and recruiting) What are the five areas an HR generalist should have a solid understanding of? ANS- 1. training and development; 2. compensation and benefits; 3. empoyee and labor relations; 4. recruiting and selecting employees; 5. health safety and security Define Ethics ANS- the moral principles and values that an individual uses to decide whether an action is appropriate Discuss the importance of ethics in human resource administration. ANS- HR professionals play a central role in creating and sustaining a positive work enviroment; it is important tha they consistently engage in ethical behavior (role model). Define "employment at-will". ANS- A common-law rule for employment contracts that presume an employer can generally hire, fire, or promote an employee for any reason at any time. In addition, employees can leave for any reason at any time. What are the consequences to employees of the "employment at-will"? ANS- Critized for potentially harsh consequences to employees, which may leave them vulnerable and financially insecure. What are the consequences to employees of the "employment at-will"? ANS- Critized for potentially harsh consequences to employees, which may leave them vulnerable and financially insecure. What are the three exception to "employment at-will?"? ANS- 1. public-policy exception; 2. implied-contract exception; 3. implied covenant-of-good-faith exception. What is an implied contract? ANS- legally binding agreement, which is created not through formal contract negotiation and documentation, but by the actions of the employer and the employee. Ex: an implied contract may be created between an employer and employee if the employer gives oral assurances that the employee will have continued work for satisfactory job performance. What are the various ways implied contracts are created? ANS- oral promises; good faith; specific language In employee handbooks and training documents What is the Civil Rights Act? ANS- comprehensive civil rights legislation, signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson in 1964, which prohibits employment disrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. What is Title VII? ANS- a part of the civil rights act of 1964 on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin which makes it unlawful for an employer to refuse to hire any indivudal because of their race and so on. How was the EEOC created? ANS- created by the civil rights act of 1964 What is the EEOC responsible for enforcing? ANS- enforces federal anti-discrimination statutes and provides oversight for all federal equal opportunity employment regulations What groups are protected under Title VII? ANS- 1. Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA); 2. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA); 3. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); 4. Rehabilitation Act of 1973; 5. Civil Rights Act of 1991; 6. Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA); 7. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) What is the difference between diversity and inclusion? ANS- Diversity is the difference between people; inclusion is respect and valuing people in order to achieve a common goal What are the benefit of a diverse workforce? ANS- creativity and innovation What is sexual discrimination? ANS- unfavorable treatment of someone based on sex or gender What is religious discrimination? ANS- unfavorable discrimination or unfair treatment of a person on the basis of a person's religious beliefs What is national origin discrimination? ANS- occurs when an employers makes an adverse employment decision against individual because the individual or hir or her ancestor: country or place, belongs to or identifies with, a national or cultural, or ethnic group What is affirmative action ANS- AA any action taken by an employer to overcome discriminatory effects of past or current practices or policies that create barriers to equal employment opportunity. The focus of AA is to assist historically disadvantage groups in employment. What are the three basic elements of an affirmative action plan? ANS- 1. reasonable self-analysis; 2. reasonable rationale for taking affirmative action; 3. reasonable affirmative action. What protected categories are covered under affirmative action? ANS- Women; African Americans; Asians; Pacific Islanders; Disabled Persons; American Indian/Alaskan Native; Veterans List the ways that human resource planning helps organizations? ANS- To consider the organization's future staffing needs and to help execute the organization's business strategy. What are the 4 steps (phases) in the HR planning process. ANS- 1. develop data; 2. establishing hr objectives and policies; 3. hr programming; 4. hrp control and evaluation Define the term "demand". ANS- the number and types of employees you will need to achieve the organization's strategic mission Define the term "supply". ANS- the number and types of employees who will be available now or in the future to fill the jobs Which of the demand data gathering methods are judgmental techniques ANS- managerial estimate, delphi technique, nominal grouping technique Which of the demand data gathering methods are statistical techniques ANS- linear regression, multiple linear regression, productivity ratios, trend analysis, stochastic analysis When should linear regression be used vs multiple linear regression? ANS- when you have one variable with which you are forecasting labor demand (need), use linear regression; more than one variable, use multiple What are the supply data gathering methods? ANS- succession planning and replacement planning What is an "attraction" plan? ANS- type of HR program in which the employer creates a workplace culture that attracts and retains workers Attraction: Describe the shift organizations have made from "traditional" organization mode in order to attract employees. ANS- increase employee self-control, increase bottom-up communications, emphasize instrinsic rewards, create more boradly defined job roles. What is an "reduction" plan? ANS- HR program in which company needs to lay off employees What is involved in reduction planning? ANS- planning should be outplacement counseling, buy-outs, job skill retraining, and job transfers. List demand forecasts techniques ANS- Delphi Technique, Managerial Estimates, Multiple Linear Regression, Nominal Group Technique, Simple Linear Regression List Supply Forecasts Techniques ANS- Replacement Planning, Succession Planning Describe the purpose of recruitment. ANS- To generate a pool of potentially qualified applicants and to help organizations meet their legal and social responsibility. Explain the impact of the following laws for recruiting practices: Civil Rights Act ANS- Makes it unlawfyl to refuse to recruit or hire an individual based on the individual's race, color, national origin, religion, or sex. Explain the impact of the following laws for recruiting practices: Genetic information nondriscrimination act ANS- Prohibits discrimination of candidates or current employees based on the likelihood that potential employees (or their family members) will have future health issues; protects the rights of genetic information to be held confidential. explain the impact of the following laws for recruiting practices: Americans with Disabilities Act ANS- Prohibits discrimination of qualified people with disabilities who can perform the essential functions of a job with out without a reasonable accomodation. Recruiter may need to have an interactive conversation to determine reasonable accomodation. explain the impact of the following laws for recruiting practices: family and medical leave act ANS- Proivde 12 weeks of unpaid leave to an employee with a serious health condition, to take care of a family member wih a serious health condition, or for adding a child to the family; requires employer to return the employee to same or similar job position. Describe the following internal sources and methods for obtaining job applicants. promotion ANS- current employee moves from one position in the company to one of a higher skill and or pay level Describe the following internal sources and methods for obtaining job applicants. transfer ANS- current employee moves from one position in the company to another of similar skill and pay level. Describe the following internal sources and methods for obtaining job applicants. job rotation ANS- requires trainees to learn the tasks and functions of multiple job positions Describe the following internal sources and methods for obtaining job applicants. job postings ANS- advertisement (either physical or virtual) that exposes the job opening to a large number of potential applicants for screening while maintaing a low cost per applicant Describe external sources and methods for obtaining job applicants. walk-ins ANS- candidate approaches the employer about job; employer may or may not have a job opening that is a fit for candidate describe external sources and methods for obtaining job applicants: employment agencies ANS- business that pre-screens and provides applicants that employers would have difficulty finding otherwise describe external sources and methods for obtaining job applicants: temporary agencies ANS- tempt to hire or "permanent" hires and is also the employer of record for paychecks and benefits describe external sources and methods for obtaining job applicants: trade associations ANS- local labor association describe external sources and methods for obtaining job applicants: technical and educational institutions ANS- technical school or college where could gain interships, direct referall, on campus interviews describe each for the following best practices in recruiting: forward thinking ANS- look into future types of employees the organization will need describe each for the following best practices in recruiting: societal needs ANS- various federal and state regulations, and these needs are served by doing what is best for the community and its various stakeholders describe each for the following best practices in recruiting: benefits ANS- child care, reduce stero-typing, provide support and high quality of work life describe each for the following best practices in recruiting: recruit internally ANS- already trained employees and cost effective describe each for the following best practices in recruiting: embrace diversity ANS- provides various view points and encourage creativity and innovation Define job matching ANS- systematic effort to identify peoples KSAs (knowledge, skills, adbilities) and match them to job openings What information does a job profile provide? ANS- detailed job descriptions as well as job specifications What information does a candidate profile provide? ANS- info regarding the candidates experience or skills related to specific jobs and may list the candidates job preferences and interests Define "employee selection" ANS- Process or series of steps to determine the most qualified candidates from applicant pool. Why is conducting a job analysis critical to employee selection? ANS- It increases accuracy of job descriptions in recruiting, and it aids in developing job-related selection procedures. Describe the relationship between recruiting and selection. ANS- The more effective the recruiting, the greater the likelihood that selection will find suitable candidates for hire. What is a criterion" ANS- A behavior that represents a successful job-holder. What are the two type of criteria? ANS- Ultimate criterioin and Actual criterion. Ultimate is a theoretical construct or abstract idea that can never actually be measured. It represents a complete set of ideal factors that consitute a successful person. Actual is the measurable factors that constitute a successful person, excluding bias and deficiency in the selection process. Define "reliability" ANS- The consistency or stability of a selection instrument. Why is having a reliable selection process important? ANS- High reliability increases the likelihood of a positive work enviroment and the overall productivity in the organization; it allows us to "lean on" the test results or process results to make our decisions. Define "validity" ANS- How accurately and precisely a measure assesses an attribute; it assumes the appropriateness of using a given measuring device for drawing inferences about the criteria. Why is having a valid selection process important? ANS- High validity ensures that applicants who are potentially the best qualified can be identified, where as poor validity of a selection process can cause the organization to face legal action. describe the role of each of these selection instruments play in the selection process: application blanks ANS- Applications are an effective method for gathering a large amount of applicant biographical information for relatively little cost. describe the role of these selection instruments play in the selection process: reference checks ANS- Allows us to gather information from other people's perspective on the candidate. May find out attributes or situations we would otherwise miss. describe the role each of these selection instruments play in the selection process: interviewing ANS- Assists in gathering information about a candidates KSA's through questions (content of the job) and also allows us to assess verbal communcation, interpersonal skills, and other areas through the process of the interview itself. describe the role each of these selection instrumets olay in the selection process: background checks ANS- Verifcation of job-related requirements of the applicant, including items such as driving record, credit history and academic records. Explain the benefits to organizations of new employee orientation and socialization. ANS- It will help reduce turnover amoung the new employees. When employers use a selection test that measures a specific skill on the job description, the test likely has _______________. ANS- content validity A company's HR department gives all candidates for positions at the Senior Manager and above a personality assessment. When choosing the assessment, they need to ensure it has ____________. ANS- construct validity Daphne Cosmetics, LLC uses the industry-leading video assessment to screen potential salespersons. The test has been utilized for 10 years and predicts success on the job. This assessment could be described as having _______________. ANS- empirical validity Define employee training. ANS- Actions to correct employee skill deficiencies; seeks to improve employee in current job role by increasing knowledge, skill or toher ability levels Define employee development. ANS- actions to help prepare employees for career changes; seeks to provide knowledge, skills or abilities that apply to future roles in the organization What are the 5 steps of the ADDIE model? ANS- Assesment, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation Is the ADDIE model a continuous or cycle or a linear seriers of steps? Why is the benfitical to the development process? ANS- The results of evaluation from one training program become part of the assesment of needs for the next program The 3 goal of the needs assessment step? ANS- 1. to determine whether a training need exists; 2. to identify where in the organization this need exists; 3. to determine the precise nature of the required training. What groups/stakeholders are invloded in the needs assessment ANS- 1. Upper-level managers can appropriately provide input on the vision of the organization; 2. middle-level managers can advise on the nature of specific performance problems; 3. training managers and instructional designers need to assess whether potential training programs are aligned with business strategy; 4. Subject Matter Experts (SME's) What are the 3 levels of needs assessment assocated with the ADDIE model? ANS- Organizational; Task; Personal What is included in the design phase "blueprint" ANS- Goals, objectives, and evaluation tasks that must be developed and sequenced; similar to a blueprint before building a house. What two types of data are typlicall gathered during the evaluation phase ANS- Formative and Summative What is "transfer of training"? ANS- The ability to take what is learned in the classroom and apply it back on the job. Why is transfer of training important? ANS- Training servers no purpose if its not used back on the job What is critical for transfer of training to occur? (topic 6.4) ANS- 1. ensure conditions in the training program are identical to those in the job; 2. teaching principles for applying the behaviors learned in the training program to the job situation; 3. using the cotract plan. Collect information to determine the cause of a process problem. Is which step of the ADDIE model is involved in each activity? ANS- Assesment Create an outline of the objectives and desired outcomes Which step of the ADDIE model is involved in each activity? ANS- design Explain the relationship between performance appraisal systems and other HR activities (e.g., compensation, performance management, training and development). ANS- Performance appraisal (part of performance management) drives salary increases as well placement decisions Empirical Validity ANS- Describe how closely scores on a test correlate with behavior as measured in other contexts (evidence or proof of predicting success) Construct Validity ANS- How well a test measures what it claims to measure; measures a complicated psychological trait or skill such as intelligence or personality Content Validity ANS- The extent to which an assessment is relevant to the content of the job. Describe the three factors that make a performance appraisal instrument valid or invalid. ANS- Incomplete or innaccurate information, poor, communication (lack of clarity) and rating errors Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: straight ranking ANS- Performance appraisal method in which a superior lists the subordinates in order from best to work, usually on the basis of overall performance. Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: Alternative ranking ANS- Performance appraisal method in which the first step is to put the best subordinate at the head of the list and the worst subordinate at the bottom, usually on the basis of overall performance; then the superior selects the best and worst from the remaining subordinates, repeating until all are ranked. Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: paired comparisons ANS- Performance appraisal method that compares each employee to another, two at a time on a single standard, to determine which is better; then, a rank order can be obtained by counting the number of times each individual is selected as the better of a pair. The subordinate with the most favorable comparisons is thus ranked in the first place. The subordinate with the second-greatest number of favorable comparisons is ranked second. Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: forced distribution method ANS- Forced-ranking system that aligns people in preset "buckets" (such as the top 20 percent, the middle 70 percent, and the low-performing 1- percent; 10/80/10; or even just into thirds) Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: narrative essay ANS- Type of performance appraisal in which the supervisor writes notes and examples of critical performance incidents (positive and negative) during the appraisal period. Identify the various performance appraisal methods and the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following: peer-appraisal ANS- Peer appraisals allow teammates to offer feedback on the performance of those with whom they work; these appear valuable when superiors lack access to some aspects of the subordinate's performance. Peer appraisal can be very useful for self-managed teams, when teamwork and participation are part of the organizational culture. Analyze the use of performance appraisals for administrative : ANS- 1. promotion; 2. wage and salary decisions; 3. validation of employee selection approaches; 4. evaluation of training affectiveness Analyze the use of performance appraisals for developmental actions. ANS- 1. feedback for performance improvement; 2. identification of training needs; 3. career planning Describe strategies for improving performance ANS- compensations; letting workers design their own jobs; goal setting What is a learning organization? ANS- A particular type of organization culture, where culture reflects the values, attitudes, and basic operating assumptions that are widely shared among organizational participants; members recognize the importance of learning at all levels; learning is a continuous process that runs parallel to work, focus on creativity and innovation, rewards individual and group learning and development. Why is a learning organization beneficial? ANS- 1. acquiring knowledge 2. increased transfer of knowledge Describe the difference between direct and indirect compensation (benefits). ANS- Direct compensation is money given through wages and salaries; the terms "fringe benefits" and "benefits-pay" are used by many corporations to denote indirect compensation Describe the role of job evaluation in determining compensation structure. ANS- the process of comparing jobs by the use of formal and systematic procedures to determine their relative worth within the organization; used to create a job structure such as pay grades or bands What is variable compensation? ANS- Money given to link employee pay to employee and organizational performance What is the role of annual bonuses in an organization compensation philosophy? ANS- to asssist an organization in their strategic role to be more competitive Define fixed pay. ANS- compensation that does not vary according to performance; also known as "base pay", fixed pay is nondiscretionary compensation. What is the major difference between fixed and variable compensation? ANS- fixed pay may be seen as the amount known in advance; variable compensation is determined by performance or productivity during the pay period or another period of time that adds to the employee earnings Define "piecework." ANS- employees are garunteed a standard pay rate for each unit of output, also called a piece rate Define "stock options". ANS- opportunity for a manager to buy an organization's stock at a later date, but at a price established when the option is granted. Define "cash plans". ANS- payment of profit shares at regular intervals, typically monthly or yearly Define "wage-dividend". ANS- a special type of cash plan in which the company sets the percentage of profits paid to employees according to the amount of dividents paid to stockholders What is indirect compensation? ANS- 1. employee benefits; 2. employee training; 3. employee services What is the key factor in distinguishing indirect form of compensation? ANS- no cash is provided directly to the employee (no cash in hand) What represents an organization's value system? ANS- corporate culture A human resources department is working on increasing diversity within the organization. Which strategic role for a human resources department is being demonstrated? ANS- Champion for change How should a human resources professional encourage a high ethical standard of conduct in the workplace? ANS- By influencing others to make moral choices What is the outcome of effective diversity management within organizations? ANS- Better sense of inclusion What is a benefit to promoting an organization's efforts to increase diversity on the company website? ANS- It draws attention to diversity commitment. A woman is turned down for a higher-paying position because the hiring manager believes men perform the duties better than women. Which term is used to indicate this form of discrimination? ANS- Gender discrimination What was the purpose of the Executive Order 10925 that established affirmative action? ANS- To mandate that managers of federally funded projects work to eliminate bias in employment practices. Which step in the human resource planning process ensures that the organization will have the needed supply of employees in the future? ANS- Programming Which technique addresses labor forecasting to project future human resource needs based on past staffing levels? ANS- Time-series What are two statistical projection methods used to determine human resources demand? ANS- Multiple linear regression; Stochastic technique A firm needs to lay off employees and wants to develop a plan to minimize the effect on employees. The firm opts to try a combination of buyouts and outplacement counseling. Which type of plan is the firm engaging in? ANS- A redundancy plan At which age does the Age Discrimination in Employment Act begin to protect an individual from discrimination in the recruitment process? ANS- 40 Job duties for a marketing coordinator position include the following: planning international trade shows by identifying, assembling, and coordinating requirements; establishing contacts; developing schedules and assignments; coordinating mailing lists. Which item should be included in the required skills section of this job posting? ANS- Operates Microsoft database software Which selection instrument is used to obtain information on the applicant's motivation and details of previous experiences to get a more subjective feel for the candidate? ANS- Interview What is the distinction between training and development? ANS- Training is directed at the employees' current job whereas development helps the employee prepare for future jobs. At which level of analysis are annual performance reviews? ANS- Person What is a characteristic of a learning organization? ANS- It is focused on knowledge development across the firm. What is a type of direct compensation that plays a strategic role in attracting and retaining qualified applicants? ANS- wages An organization has recently added 50 new clients, and their production must increase as rapidly as possible. To increase production levels, a manager urges an existing employee to accept a newly created position responsible for hiring new employees. What should the company use to determine the appropriate compensation level for this new position? ANS- Job evaluation A firm offers an individual a job paying $40,000 per year plus health insurance for selling widgets. The employee counter-offers that she be paid $52,000 per year with no insurance. Which pay structures are being discussed? ANS- The firm is offering fixed compensation and the employee is requesting fixed compensation. Which incentive leads to enhanced productivity and subsequently creates additional earnings? ANS- Gain-sharing plan Which form of indirect compensation can be integrated into the organization's strategic planning? ANS- Benefits Which form of validity for making employment decisions (e.g., select, promote) is legally defensible if challenged in court? ANS- Empirical validity Which performance appraisal method can make managers more aware of their impact on employees without feeling threatened? ANS- Appraisal by subordinates