[Principles of Human Resource Management, International Edition,Snell,15e] Test Bank: Your Pathway to A+ Grades

CHAPTER 1—THE CHALLENGE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT




TRUE/FALSE



1. In general, many companies are realizing diminished demand for "touch labor" and an
increasing demand for "knowledge workers."


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 7 OBJ: 1-3 TYPE: K



2. Knowledge workers are employees whose responsibilities focus on problem solving.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 9 OBJ: 1-3 TYPE: U



3. A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) provides current and accurate data for
control and decision-making by managers.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 9 OBJ: 1-3 TYPE: K



4. To proactively manage change, organizations should wait to see how external forces impact
an organization's performance, then develop a plan to address those changes.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 12 OBJ: 1-4 TYPE: U | 1-4
TYPE: A



5. One of the main reasons change efforts fail is that organizations do not create a sense of
urgency.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 12 OBJ: 1-4 TYPE: K

, 6. A firm's ability to compete through people depends upon its ability to manage human
capital.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 13 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: U



7. Human capital is owned by the organization and is part of the company's core
competencies.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 13 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: K | 1-5
TYPE: U



8. To build human capital in organizations, managers should focus on training programs in
areas that cannot be transferred to competitors.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 14 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: A



9. Development programs, especially those involving teams, facilitate learning and knowledge
exchange.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 15 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: K



10. Teamwork is often a valuable way of facilitating knowledge exchange and mutual learning.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 15 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: U




11. Development of human capital is the responsibility of the HR group.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 15 OBJ: 1-5 TYPE: U

,12. Total-quality management is a set of principles and practices whose core ideas include
doing things right the first time and striving for continuous improvement.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 16 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: K



13. To be successful, organizations should constantly seek to align their processes with
customer needs.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 16 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: U



14. 'Six Sigma' refers to the six criteria for Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 16 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: U



15. Six Sigma is a set of principles and practices whose core ideas include doing things right the
first time and striving for continuous improvement.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 16 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: K | 1-6
TYPE: U



16. Employee motivation, teamwork, corporate culture, employee education, performance
management, and rewards are the six aspects in the quality improvement program known
as 'Six Sigma.'


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 16 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: K



17. Reengineering is a statistical method of translating customer needs into separate tasks and
defining the best way to perform each task.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: K | 1-6
TYPE: U

, 18. To launch a successful reengineering effort, it is important that managers build on existing
processes.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-6 TYPE: A



19. Labor costs are one of the largest expenditures of any organization.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: K



20. Technology reduces labor costs in service and knowledge intensive companies.


ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: U | 1-7
TYPE: A



21. Methods of reducing labor costs include downsizing, outsourcing, and employee leasing.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: K



22. Downsizing is often used by organizations for the planned elimination of jobs.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: K



23. The large majority of major corporations have undergone some cycle of downsizing.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: K



24. Historically, layoffs affected line workers in manufacturing firms, but since the 1990’s white
collar and managerial jobs are the hardest hit.


ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 17 OBJ: 1-7 TYPE: K | 1-7
TYPE: U