HRM Practice Exam Questions
Question 1
Wright and Nishii (2005) make a distinction between intended, implemented, and
perceived HRM practices.
a. Explain what the distinction between intended, implemented, and perceived HRM
practices entails and provide an example of each of these types of practices in the
area of training and development. (5 points)
b. Imagine that you work as HRM manager in a large multinational. Your organisation
wants to assess whether the HRM practices that are developed by the HRM
department are actually used by line managers, and experienced by employees.
Based on your academic background, you propose to perform an empricial,
quantitative study. Describe what such a study would look like. Discuss your research
method, the type of respondents you would include, and the type of information that
you will collect. (5 points)
Question 2
One of the core HRM practices is reward. During lecture 7, various types of rewards have
been discussed.
a. Brewster et al. (2016) introduce the notion of ‘total reward’. Explain what is meant with
the term ‘total reward’ and provide examples. (5 points)
b. Nick works in an organisation and is having a conversation with his colleague Jane
about what they earn. Jane tells Nick that he earns 10% less than she does, while he
works in a similar position. Nick feels treated unfairly. Which theory, discussed in
lecture 7, would predict this type of emotion? Explain what this theory entails and
describe the three possible outcomes of a comparison with others that this theory
proposes. (5 points)
Question 3
Delery and Doty (1996) present three dominant modes of theorizing in the Strategic HRM
literature regarding the relationship between HRM and performance: (1) the universalistic
perspective, (2) the contingency perspective, and (3) the configurational perspective.
a. Explain these three perspectives. (5 points)
b. Imagine that the HR department of a large multinational corporation strongly believes
in the universalistic perspective. Explain what this would mean for the HRM practices
that are implemented across the different subsidiaries of the company (and these
subsidiaries are located in different countries). (5 points)
Question 1
Wright and Nishii (2005) make a distinction between intended, implemented, and
perceived HRM practices.
a. Explain what the distinction between intended, implemented, and perceived HRM
practices entails and provide an example of each of these types of practices in the
area of training and development. (5 points)
b. Imagine that you work as HRM manager in a large multinational. Your organisation
wants to assess whether the HRM practices that are developed by the HRM
department are actually used by line managers, and experienced by employees.
Based on your academic background, you propose to perform an empricial,
quantitative study. Describe what such a study would look like. Discuss your research
method, the type of respondents you would include, and the type of information that
you will collect. (5 points)
Question 2
One of the core HRM practices is reward. During lecture 7, various types of rewards have
been discussed.
a. Brewster et al. (2016) introduce the notion of ‘total reward’. Explain what is meant with
the term ‘total reward’ and provide examples. (5 points)
b. Nick works in an organisation and is having a conversation with his colleague Jane
about what they earn. Jane tells Nick that he earns 10% less than she does, while he
works in a similar position. Nick feels treated unfairly. Which theory, discussed in
lecture 7, would predict this type of emotion? Explain what this theory entails and
describe the three possible outcomes of a comparison with others that this theory
proposes. (5 points)
Question 3
Delery and Doty (1996) present three dominant modes of theorizing in the Strategic HRM
literature regarding the relationship between HRM and performance: (1) the universalistic
perspective, (2) the contingency perspective, and (3) the configurational perspective.
a. Explain these three perspectives. (5 points)
b. Imagine that the HR department of a large multinational corporation strongly believes
in the universalistic perspective. Explain what this would mean for the HRM practices
that are implemented across the different subsidiaries of the company (and these
subsidiaries are located in different countries). (5 points)
