SHRM-CP Exam Prep with Accurate
Solutions
Which method is initially used to resolve disputes regarding interpretation of a clause in
a current union contract? - ANS-Grievance procedures
Rationale
A collective bargaining agreement almost always includes a formal grievance
procedure. This process provides an orderly way to resolve the inevitable differences of
opinion in regard to the union contract.
The creation of a global compensation and benefits strategy that ignores local
differences in culture is most likely to occur in what global management approach? -
ANS-1. Ethnocentric
Rationale
In an ethnocentric approach, headquarters maintains tight control over international
operations. Subsidiaries have little autonomy and key positions are held by
headquarters personnel. A strong headquarters bias often blinds management to the
subtleties of cross-cultural differences.
Ethnocentric - ANS-- Headquarters maintains tight control over subsidiaries, who are
expected to follow strategic pattern, values, policies and practices expressed by
headquarters.
- There is "one best way"
- Management will usually share common ethnic background, different from the ethnic
make-up of subsidiaries
Geocentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are neither satellites taking orders nor independent
bodies setting their own course. Headquarters and subsidiaries are participants in a
network, each contributing its unique expertise.
- There is essentially "a team way" transcending national borders.
Polycentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are allowed a large measure of independence as long
as they are profitable.
- They may plot their own paths based on the business and cultural contexts of their
countries.
- There are "many best ways"
Regiocentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are grouped into regions (Such as North America,
Europe and Asia Pacific)
,- Strategic coordination is high within the region but not as high between the region and
headquarters.
Which activity is part of the assessment and selection step of the global assignment
process? - ANS-Development of data-gathering instruments
Rationale
Development of data-gathering instruments is critical because it will be used in to
assess candidates according to the criteria the organization has chosen. The tools must
be valid and reliable and produce consistent information for each candidate. Analysis of
the costs versus the benefits occurs during the management and assignee selection
step. Cross-cultural counseling is not necessary until the pre-departure preparation
step.
How has the talent acquisition process been affected by social media? - ANS-There is
an increased ability to find and connect with passive candidates.
Rationale
Social media make it easier to find passive candidates. In addition to finding passive
candidates directly online 24/7, social media provide talent scouts with access to
passive candidate networks of key connections.
An organization has four generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Which
practice could alleviate management concerns that intergenerational tensions and a
lack of camaraderie could undermine organizational success? - ANS-1. Succession
planning
Rationale
Organizational success often depends on contributions from employees of all ages and
the open sharing of knowledge and experience that will help prepare future
organizational leaders. Succession planning can promote productive relationships,
employee motivation, collaboration, and leadership development.
A knowledge-based organization is highly decentralized, with many small offices and
many employees who are highly task-oriented working remotely. Which would be the
best way to measure employee attitudes in this organization? - ANS-1. Administering a
brief online survey
Rationale
An online assessment that could be completed and returned quickly, conveniently, and
from a distance would be best. In a knowledge-based organization, the employees are
probably technologically proficient and would prefer a brief online survey. An open-door
policy does not ensure a representative sample of attitudes. Focus groups will be
impractical, given the organization's structure.
,An organization has decided to use a random drug testing program for all current
employees. What should the organization do prior to implementing the program and
testing employees? - ANS-3. Verify that the proposed program complies with applicable
local, state, and federal laws.
Rationale
The organization must ensure that the testing program complies with all applicable
federal, local, and state laws. Depending on applicable laws, the organization may or
may not need to collect documentation from employees indicating their willingness to
participate. Certain localities may not allow automatic dismissal following a failed drug
test, so creating documentation for an automatic dismissal would not be an effective use
of time or resources before checking with applicable laws. Depending on the law,
organizations may or may not be able to compel employees to sign arbitration
agreements.
Which is a potential advantage of using Internet recruiting? - ANS-3. Fast and effective
distribution of listings
Rationale
Internet recruiting can definitely provide an effective means to entice job applicants and
also allow for filtering mechanisms. But the same legal and ethical considerations that
apply to the more traditional recruiting methods also apply to the Internet.
What is the primary reason for developing workforce diversity programs? - ANS-4. To
enhance productivity.
Rationale
The primary reason for developing diversity programs is to make it easier for employees
to communicate effectively and work together more productively.
A consulting company recently changed its vacation and leave policies and wants to
know how employees feel about the changes. Its 500 employees are located in 40
locations throughout the U.S. and western Europe. What survey method is likely to yield
the highest response rate and the best data? - ANS-2. Online survey
Rationale
Given the professional level workforce typically found in a consulting company, online
surveys generally yield the highest response rate due to the convenient 24/7 access via
the Internet or company intranet. In addition, responses to open-ended questions are
often more complete if employees can type them in as opposed to writing them on a
form. Given the time zone changes, phone interviews would be cumbersome. Fax and
mail surveys are less convenient and run the risk of being lost and not reaching all
employees.
Which organizational structure is best described as being divided according to a linear
process? - ANS-3. Functional organization
, Rationale
A functional organization is organized according to a linear process, for example,
design, supplies, procurement, manufacturing, sales and marketing, distribution, and
customer service.
What are the basic steps in crisis management planning and readiness? - ANS-2.
Identify risks, develop plan, test and drill, evaluate.
Rationale
The basic steps in planning to respond to a crisis are identifying and analyzing risks
(e.g., a pandemic), planning to manage the possible outcomes if the risk event occurs
(e.g., cross-training and remote work procedures), testing and drilling (e.g., a table-top
exercise in which a department's plan is "invoked" and examined for effectiveness,
thoroughness, and employee understanding), and evaluation of the plan to improve its
effectiveness and applicability to emerging threats).
HR has been approached by a manager in a host country stating that activities being
conducted by an employee are different than those in the home country and must be
unethical. What should HR advise as the first step for this manager? - ANS-4. Remind
the manager that just because the activities are being conducted differently does not
mean that they are unethical.
Rationale
The manager should be reminded that just because the activities are being conducted
differently does not mean that they are unethical. Conducting an investigation would be
the next step. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the employee may be told
to stop the activity and or be fired.
Under which circumstances would it be important for an HR manager to age data? -
ANS-4. When trying to understand the organization's current pay competitiveness and
where it needs to be
Rationale
In order to make data sources consistent with one another, aging of data is needed.
Aging data from surveys and comparing it to where the organization is allows an
understanding of how close you are to your compensation philosophy (lag, match, or
lead) for the organization's salary structure.
What is meant by the sustainability sweet spot? - ANS-1. The overlapping area of the
triple bottom line perspectives
Rationale
The sustainability sweet spot includes actions that satisfy all three of the needs in the
triple bottom line: benefits to the environment (or planet); employees, customers, or
neighbors (people); and the organization's financial health (profit).
Solutions
Which method is initially used to resolve disputes regarding interpretation of a clause in
a current union contract? - ANS-Grievance procedures
Rationale
A collective bargaining agreement almost always includes a formal grievance
procedure. This process provides an orderly way to resolve the inevitable differences of
opinion in regard to the union contract.
The creation of a global compensation and benefits strategy that ignores local
differences in culture is most likely to occur in what global management approach? -
ANS-1. Ethnocentric
Rationale
In an ethnocentric approach, headquarters maintains tight control over international
operations. Subsidiaries have little autonomy and key positions are held by
headquarters personnel. A strong headquarters bias often blinds management to the
subtleties of cross-cultural differences.
Ethnocentric - ANS-- Headquarters maintains tight control over subsidiaries, who are
expected to follow strategic pattern, values, policies and practices expressed by
headquarters.
- There is "one best way"
- Management will usually share common ethnic background, different from the ethnic
make-up of subsidiaries
Geocentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are neither satellites taking orders nor independent
bodies setting their own course. Headquarters and subsidiaries are participants in a
network, each contributing its unique expertise.
- There is essentially "a team way" transcending national borders.
Polycentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are allowed a large measure of independence as long
as they are profitable.
- They may plot their own paths based on the business and cultural contexts of their
countries.
- There are "many best ways"
Regiocentric - ANS-- Subsidiaries are grouped into regions (Such as North America,
Europe and Asia Pacific)
,- Strategic coordination is high within the region but not as high between the region and
headquarters.
Which activity is part of the assessment and selection step of the global assignment
process? - ANS-Development of data-gathering instruments
Rationale
Development of data-gathering instruments is critical because it will be used in to
assess candidates according to the criteria the organization has chosen. The tools must
be valid and reliable and produce consistent information for each candidate. Analysis of
the costs versus the benefits occurs during the management and assignee selection
step. Cross-cultural counseling is not necessary until the pre-departure preparation
step.
How has the talent acquisition process been affected by social media? - ANS-There is
an increased ability to find and connect with passive candidates.
Rationale
Social media make it easier to find passive candidates. In addition to finding passive
candidates directly online 24/7, social media provide talent scouts with access to
passive candidate networks of key connections.
An organization has four generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Which
practice could alleviate management concerns that intergenerational tensions and a
lack of camaraderie could undermine organizational success? - ANS-1. Succession
planning
Rationale
Organizational success often depends on contributions from employees of all ages and
the open sharing of knowledge and experience that will help prepare future
organizational leaders. Succession planning can promote productive relationships,
employee motivation, collaboration, and leadership development.
A knowledge-based organization is highly decentralized, with many small offices and
many employees who are highly task-oriented working remotely. Which would be the
best way to measure employee attitudes in this organization? - ANS-1. Administering a
brief online survey
Rationale
An online assessment that could be completed and returned quickly, conveniently, and
from a distance would be best. In a knowledge-based organization, the employees are
probably technologically proficient and would prefer a brief online survey. An open-door
policy does not ensure a representative sample of attitudes. Focus groups will be
impractical, given the organization's structure.
,An organization has decided to use a random drug testing program for all current
employees. What should the organization do prior to implementing the program and
testing employees? - ANS-3. Verify that the proposed program complies with applicable
local, state, and federal laws.
Rationale
The organization must ensure that the testing program complies with all applicable
federal, local, and state laws. Depending on applicable laws, the organization may or
may not need to collect documentation from employees indicating their willingness to
participate. Certain localities may not allow automatic dismissal following a failed drug
test, so creating documentation for an automatic dismissal would not be an effective use
of time or resources before checking with applicable laws. Depending on the law,
organizations may or may not be able to compel employees to sign arbitration
agreements.
Which is a potential advantage of using Internet recruiting? - ANS-3. Fast and effective
distribution of listings
Rationale
Internet recruiting can definitely provide an effective means to entice job applicants and
also allow for filtering mechanisms. But the same legal and ethical considerations that
apply to the more traditional recruiting methods also apply to the Internet.
What is the primary reason for developing workforce diversity programs? - ANS-4. To
enhance productivity.
Rationale
The primary reason for developing diversity programs is to make it easier for employees
to communicate effectively and work together more productively.
A consulting company recently changed its vacation and leave policies and wants to
know how employees feel about the changes. Its 500 employees are located in 40
locations throughout the U.S. and western Europe. What survey method is likely to yield
the highest response rate and the best data? - ANS-2. Online survey
Rationale
Given the professional level workforce typically found in a consulting company, online
surveys generally yield the highest response rate due to the convenient 24/7 access via
the Internet or company intranet. In addition, responses to open-ended questions are
often more complete if employees can type them in as opposed to writing them on a
form. Given the time zone changes, phone interviews would be cumbersome. Fax and
mail surveys are less convenient and run the risk of being lost and not reaching all
employees.
Which organizational structure is best described as being divided according to a linear
process? - ANS-3. Functional organization
, Rationale
A functional organization is organized according to a linear process, for example,
design, supplies, procurement, manufacturing, sales and marketing, distribution, and
customer service.
What are the basic steps in crisis management planning and readiness? - ANS-2.
Identify risks, develop plan, test and drill, evaluate.
Rationale
The basic steps in planning to respond to a crisis are identifying and analyzing risks
(e.g., a pandemic), planning to manage the possible outcomes if the risk event occurs
(e.g., cross-training and remote work procedures), testing and drilling (e.g., a table-top
exercise in which a department's plan is "invoked" and examined for effectiveness,
thoroughness, and employee understanding), and evaluation of the plan to improve its
effectiveness and applicability to emerging threats).
HR has been approached by a manager in a host country stating that activities being
conducted by an employee are different than those in the home country and must be
unethical. What should HR advise as the first step for this manager? - ANS-4. Remind
the manager that just because the activities are being conducted differently does not
mean that they are unethical.
Rationale
The manager should be reminded that just because the activities are being conducted
differently does not mean that they are unethical. Conducting an investigation would be
the next step. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the employee may be told
to stop the activity and or be fired.
Under which circumstances would it be important for an HR manager to age data? -
ANS-4. When trying to understand the organization's current pay competitiveness and
where it needs to be
Rationale
In order to make data sources consistent with one another, aging of data is needed.
Aging data from surveys and comparing it to where the organization is allows an
understanding of how close you are to your compensation philosophy (lag, match, or
lead) for the organization's salary structure.
What is meant by the sustainability sweet spot? - ANS-1. The overlapping area of the
triple bottom line perspectives
Rationale
The sustainability sweet spot includes actions that satisfy all three of the needs in the
triple bottom line: benefits to the environment (or planet); employees, customers, or
neighbors (people); and the organization's financial health (profit).
