PUB4860 Assignment 1 (Quiz) Semester 1 | Due April 2025

PUB4860 Assignment 1 (Quiz) Semester 1 | Due April 2025. All questions answered. 1. There are many key functions and practices (specialised professional activities to achieve effective institutional performance) necessary to deliver the human resource function. Of the functions and practices below, select the option that does not relate to one of these functions and practices: A) Compensating and caring. B) Attracking and making of appointments. C) Obtaining of suitable human resources. D) Strategising and planning. 2. There are different ways to ensure that human resource performance is maintained. For example, it is important that human resource managers determine if the right task has been completed. In other words, that a set aim has been achieved (effectiveness). All of the following are criteria that public human resource managers can use to measure public human resource management delivery? A) Increasing professionalism (HRM will be conducted competently and reflect the highest moral and ethical standards). B) Increasing efficiency (doing things the right way). C) Ensuring affordability (doing things at the lowest cost possible - economy). D) Increasing effectiveness (doing the right things). 3. There are many policy documents (regulatory and governing framework) enforcing a chain of accountability through which public employees are held answerable for performance appraisal. Which one of the following options is not regarded as one of these policy guidelines? A) Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996; Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. B) Public Service Regulations of 2016; Public Service Act 103 of 1994. C) Resolution 14 of 1998; Public Service Regulations of 1994. D) White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1995; Treasury Regulations of 2001. 4. The human resource system used in government is expressed mainly by the laws, regulations and other policy documents such as white papers to govern employment. The choice of a particular system has a direct effect on responsibility, accountability and responsiveness. All of the following are such laws and regulations, EXCEPT FOR: A) Public Service Act 103 of 1994. B) Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999. C) White Paper on Human Resource Management in the Public Service of 1997. D) White Paper on Affirmative Action in the Public Service of 1998. 5. All of the following are prominent HR contributions made during the early times, EXCEPT FOR: A) Division of work; application of social equity principles in the public sector workplace. B) Delegation of authority; instructions on the compensation of staff. C) Honesty to appoint competent staff; linking the work of line-function employees and managers. D) Emphasis on leadership traits for success; using of efficient training methods to improve productivity. 6. Which human resource activities form a universal combination with each other to contribute to the institution’s strategy? A) Talent acquisition, engagement and retention, performance management, succession management, learning and development. B) Interviewing, retention, termination, career management, succession management. C) Performance management, engagement, learning, strategising, dismissals. D) Recruitment, succession planning, training, selection, compensation. 7. Performance appraisals are key administrative instruments that assist public managers to make strategic decisions at different levels of a public sector institution. Which one of the following options is not regarded as typical example of an area in the HR field that PA information may be used to make better administrative decisions? A) HR planning; management of discipline. B) Workforce research; career management. C) Plans for recruitment; selection shortages. D) Employee placement decisions; financial rewards. 8. Different theories and models are used in the planning of health promotion in disease prevention and intervention programmes – for, example, the Health Brief Model (HBM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Models grounded in SCT present a foundation to inform these interventions and there are several aspects central to the implementation of it in order to effect individual behaviour change. Of the aspects below, select the option that does not relate to the association of individual behaviour change: A) Providing rewards that promote behavioural changes; identifying the ability to implement behavioural changes. B) Exposing to aspects that prompt for health actions; reducing the threat of the illness by implementing specific disease interventions. C) Establishing the results of behavioural changes; evaluating the individual behavioural changes. D) Inspecting and assessing the outcomes of others to demonstrate the required behaviour; assessment of the merit of behavioural change results. 9. Various factors, including the culture of the institution, prospects of career growth, job responsibilities and the type of performance appraisal system (in other words, how appraisal is done) have an effect on a public employee’s performance or productivity level. Obviously, the appraisal system must be unbiased because it provides feedback about an employee’s performance level. Usually, different types of performance appraisers are used - which of the following options is not regarded as such a type? A) 360-degree appraisal; appraisal by managers. B) Appraisal by citizens/self-appraisal. C) Appraisal by peers; appraisal by subordinates. D) Appraisal by project managers; appraisal by oneself. 10. In practice the executive HR office model represents the important role which line-function staff and HR specialists is involved in and, to a certain extent, could be referred to as a line/staff partnership. Which one of the following activities cannot be regarded as a responsibility of the line function manager? A) Familiarising, orienting and selecting of new public employees. B) Determining of job qualifications. C) Unravelling, interpreting and executing of HR policies and regulations. D) Drafting of HR policies for consideration by upper management. 11. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 protects certain rights of the South African citizenry. These rights also relate to the health and/or safety of public employees. The list of rights below refers to these rights of health and/or safety, EXCEPT FOR: A) Equality – has the right to equal protection – may not be discriminated against. B) Good human resource management practices – has the right to employee safety, health and wellness programmes (to care for and support of employees). C) Dignity – has the right to the protection of dignity – may not be treated differently. D) Fair treatment in terms of availability of information – has the right to any information held by the state – not be denied information. 12. The principles of administration period is regarded as one of the key phases of development of the HR discipline. In this regard, William F. Willoughby was regarded as a key contributor, by publishing a book entitled Principles of administration in 1927 – with the focus on the application of certain principles for the efficient management of people. Another contributor was Henry Fayol with his work that appeared in 1930 under the title Industrial and general management. He listed 14 principles of administration. Which one of the following options is not regarded as such a principle (s)? A) Division of work; stability of tenure. B) Unity of command; disciplining. C) Equity; team spirit. D) Participative management; strategic thinking. 13. Procedurally fair retrenchment should always be handled with caution. In practice, this implies that the fairness standards relating to a possible retrenchment must at all times be complied with. To make certain of this, specific steps have been developed during the years and should be followed. These steps include all of the following options, EXCEPT FOR: A) Paying of retrenchment packages; reacting to the representations made by the other party. B) Giving the other part an opportunity to make representations; consulting the other party. C) Making an effort to reach consensus; offering the relevant information to the other party. D) Considering voluntary retrenchments; adopting the possibility of severance pay. 14. Which one of the following options is not considered as a direct functional responsibility of the human resource office? A) Termination of the services of employees. B) Development of operational human resource policy. C) Conduct of informal disciplinary interviews with engineers. D) Development of disciplinary procedures. 15. Janet Denhardt and Robert Denhardt introduced the ‘new public service’ model. This model appeals for the reassertion of democratic values in the workplace, respect for citizenship and service in the public interest and includes a comprehensive new agenda for the management of people. The model refers to core principles such as the following, EXCEPT FOR: A) Thinking strategically; acting democratically in the execution of HR functions and practices. B) Valuing of employees individually; respecting the value of customers. C) Maintaining cost-effectiveness; attracting quality candidates. D) Enhancing institutional performance by promoting the public interest; attending to political norms such as accountability. 16. Human resource offices have two basic responsibilities, namely the delivery of a service to line management and control of organisational behavior and these obligations are performed at strategic and tactical level. There are different roles flowing from these two levels of obligations. Which option below does not reflect one of these roles? A) Designer and Proposer. B) Policy developer and advisor. C) Champion and investigator. D) Strategist and disseminator. 17. Which of the following roles do not form part of the obligations (at strategic and tactical level respectively) of HR offices? A) Champion and expert in HR field; data disseminator of HR knowledge. B) Policy guideline developer; corporate strategy advisor. C) Knowledge investigator; strategic thinker. D) HR ethics applier; merit guardian of HR matters 18. Do you agree with the following statement? “As a human resource employee rises in the hierarchy of a public institution the specialised human resource functions, practices decline at the same rate that the management tasks and additional management skills increase.” A) To a certain extent. B) Yes. C) No. D) Not sure. 19. Which resources are human resource specialists the least likely responsible for? A) Annual reports, research reports and data survey questionnaires. B) Trade unions, guards and cleaners. C) Buildings, computers and furniture. D) Salaries, wages and petty cash funds 20. Performance appraisals are not always seen as a priority by both managers and subordinate employees and there can be a number of problems experienced with it, more particularly during the administration of the process. For example, it can fall short when managers are not properly trained to do it. All of the following options are common performance appraisal problems, EXCEPT FOR: A) Gender labelling; using of recent positive or negative events. B) Applying previous ratings as a basis to work from for current appraisals; considering the ratings of other managers to rate own employees. C) Absence of across-the-board performance/evidence; application of lenient ratings. D) Allocation of low ratings if the performance of the employee is not similar as that of the rater; comparing the performances of employees with each other – creating bias in the process.