ASK

Question 1

61. A global task force is behind schedule on its project. Members from different regions and disciplines seem unable to understand one another’s perspectives or priorities. Which component of emotional intelligence can best help the team leader understand the root problem?

A) Empathy
B) Self-awareness
C) Motivation
D) Social skills

Answer 1

61. Correct Answer: A

Question 2

62. A manager believes that the best way to motivate staff is to set goals a bit beyond their reach and let them find their own ways through the tasks. According to the attribution theory, what will be the likely outcome?

A) Staff members may become helpless and even hostile.
B) The staff will develop self-sufficiency and act more autonomously.
C) The team will develop stronger bonds with each other.
D) They will put in increasingly greater effort to reach the goals that have been set for them.

Answer 2

62. Correct Answer: A

Question 3

63. What is the key challenge in balancing stakeholder needs in a global organization?

A) Managing expectations of external stakeholders
B) Weighing short- and long-term goals
C) Solving ethical dilemmas between groups
D) Understanding cultural expectations of stakeholders

Answer 3

63. Correct Answer: D

Question 4

64. Often in a large, multicultural organization, managers shrug and defend performance problems as the natural result of cultural differences. Which type of cultural attitude does this represent?

A) Determinism
B) Parochialism
C) Ethnocentrism
D) Relativism

Answer 4

64. Correct Answer: A

Question 5

65. What is the term for the right of a legal body to exert authority over a given geographical territory, subject matter, or persons or institutions?

A) Due process
B) Rule of law
C) Conflict of law
D) Jurisdiction

Answer 5

65. Correct Answer: D

Question 6

66. Which of Porter’s “Five Forces” is being applied in an organization that is compelled to offer a price reduction on services?

A) Substitution
B) reference
C) Rivalry
D) Entry

Answer 6

66. Correct Answer: A

Question 7

67. An HR manager is scheduled to receive a salary merit increase that is significantly above average compared to peers in similar positions. The employee’s manager decides to implement the increase but fails to consult the corporate compensation function, who reviews such decisions. The increase is effective in the next performance cycle. The manager has not notified the employee. The issue arises during the annual salary merit review and performance appraisal process. All employees are reviewed for possible merit increases in accordance with merit budget guidelines and applicable compensation policy. Each manager is expected to comply with the guidelines before communicating salary increase decisions to employees. Should the merit increase be implemented, it will create a negative salary equity impact based on race, gender, length of service, and scope of responsibilities of other HR managers. In the context of HR policy and practice, this action reflects a poor management decision, lacking the collegial and collaborative behavior expected of senior managers at this level. The senior manager of corporate compensation is a member of the HR leadership team and is responsible for the application of compensation policy. His team identifies this issue and is awaiting instructions on how to proceed. Which immediate step should the senior manager take to address his team’s concerns?

A) A. Permit the increase to go through, but inform the employee and the manager that no further salary increases will be approved for the cycle.
B) B. Request an immediate meeting with the responsible manager to discuss the concerns about this decision and explore options to resolve the problem.
C) C. Inform the affected employee that he is ineligible to receive the authorized increase because his manager violated organizational policy and practice.
D) D. Permit the increase to go through, but request that the manager responsible for creating this issue be more careful next time.

Answer 7

67. Correct Answer: B

Question 8

68. What should the HR director do to build credibility and trust with the HR staff members?

A) A. Share expertise and experiences with HR staff members whenever they ask for support with their daily assignments and tasks.
B) B. Invite HR staff members to attend external networking events for HR professionals to expand their career options.
C) C. Schedule meetings with HR staff members to learn more about their daily assignments and tasks and how they support the HR department’s goals.
D) D. Distribute a summary of the company’s ethics policy to HR staff members and invite their comments and feedback.

Answer 8

68. Correct Answer: C

Question 9

69. Rather than relocating a candidate from another region, what alternative can the HR director offer that has minimal disruption for the organization?

A) A. The president could be counseled on the advantages of hiring a local temporary employee who does not require relocation.
B) B. The board of directors and the president could agree to move up the president’s exit date and let an interim president make staffing changes.
C) C. Senior leadership could go ahead and announce the organizational changes.
D) D. A temporary agency could be engaged to manage the search and hire a temporary assistant in spite of the president.

Answer 9

69. Correct Answer: A

Question 10

70. After the party, the division president states the desire to terminate the HR site manager for providing inaccurate directions. How should the HR VP negotiate a disagreement with the division president over the termination of the HR site manager following the holiday party?

A) A. Ask to meet one-on-one with the division president to openly surface relevant issues to settle the dispute.
B) B. E-mail the map directions to the division president, confirming that they were accurate.
C) C. Ask the division president to summarize the facts supporting the recommendation.
D) D. Respectfully inform the division president that no adverse action will be taken against the HR site manager.

Answer 10

70. Correct Answer: A

Question 11

71. The VP of sales has requested that he conduct the new sales training as part of a phased retirement plan. The VP argues that this would allow a search for a high-potential replacement immediately, while the VP could stay gainfully employed as a trainer. Given the state of affairs in the sales department, the CHRO has concerns about the VP’s capability and effectiveness in performing either of these roles. Which recommendation should the CHRO make to address the VP’s request?

A) A. Recommend that the VP of sales discuss the proposal with the CEO.
B) B. Explore other phased retirement options with the VP of sales and the CEO.
C) C. Rule out the idea immediately and take a strong position against it.
D) D. Concede and proceed with plans for the VP of sales to teach the course.

Answer 11

71. Correct Answer: B

Question 12

72. After resolving the concerns of the committee, the team arrives at the decision to implement the long-term solution with a focus on scalability. What should the team do to effectively gain support from the company as a whole?

A) A. Conduct a company survey to see which departments will be the most challenging to gain support from.
B) B. Train employees on the new system.
C) C. Conduct a meeting of all employees to be impacted by the changes to resolve any expressed concerns.
D) D. Send a company-wide e-mail announcing the changes and including a time line that shows when everyone can expect the changes.

Answer 12

C) C. Conduct a meeting of all employees to be impacted by the changes to resolve any expressed concerns.

Question 13

73. A manager wants to explain to an ambitious employee that she will not be receiving a promotion and why she did not get the job. What would be the best form of communication to use in this case?

A) Private, face-to-face conversation
B) E-mail reviewed by someone else for tone and legal liability
C) Phone call witnessed by another person in the manager’s office
D) Brief and specific text message

Answer 13

A) Private, face-to-face conversation

Question 14

74. An HR initiative to enhance workforce management planning is well into the implementation phase. Some team members are located at headquarters, but others are officed in facilities in different parts of the country and in different time zones. Because some team members are remote, the vice president (VP) of HR relies on weekly check-in meetings. The VP senses that these meetings are not as productive as they should be. Key information is not being shared. Staff brings issues directly to the VP rather than leveraging the collective expertise of the team. What should the VP of HR do?

A) Use face-to-face meetings and schedule every other meeting at a different remote facility.
B) Form a task force of headquarters team members to brainstorm ways to improve communication.
C) Make the next meeting a “meeting on meetings” to identify possible issues and solutions.
D) Suspend the meetings and state that all team communications should be sent by e-mail to the entire team.

Answer 14

74. Correct Answer: C

Question 15

75. An HR director has been given a set of critical performance objectives for the upcoming year. How could advanced analytics help?

A) An automated alert can be texted when set tolerances are violated.
B) A relational database can be analyzed to determine functional area performance.
C) Online analytical processing (OLAP) could provide a deeper understanding of contributing factors.
D) A dashboard can highlight progress in these areas with timely data

Answer 15

75. Correct Answer: D

Question 16

76. An HR manager has been told by senior management that no new programs can be added this year. However, the department just received its third complaint related to a supervisor’s lack of awareness about diversity. How can the manager best justify including a diversity training program in the business plan for the coming year?

A) Compare for management the cost of the program with possible avoided costs.
B) Don’t list the program in the HR plan and fund it through other plan areas.
C) Make a management decision to include the program for compliance reasons.
D) Postpone this objective until the next business planning cycle.

Answer 16

76. Correct Answer: A

Question 17

77. An international seed company is in a position to buy one of its competitors. Management has narrowed the options down to three possibilities. How can HR most strategically contribute to developing and evaluating a business case for this project?

A) Review the corporate code of ethics and records of stakeholder satisfaction for each contender and recommend strategic options.
B) Assign top HR executives to conduct thorough reviews of each culture and prepare presentations for diverse stakeholders.
C) Review pivotal talent pools of employees at each organization whose skills are critical to the seed company’s strategy.
D) Estimate payroll and benefits for the entire workforce at each potential location and recommend the lowest-cost option.

Answer 17

C) Review pivotal talent pools of employees at each organization whose skills are critical to the seed company’s strategy.

Question 18

78. A manufacturer experiences markedly lower capacity in one plant. The plant does not differ significantly in equipment, workforce size and skill, or processes. Which action should HR take to best assist the operations function in correcting this?

A) Sharing best practices from other locations
B) Reviewing parts supplier management practices
C) Conducting a needs analysis in this location
D) Delivering quality training to plant supervisors

Answer 18

78. Correct Answer: C

Question 19

79. Due to changing customer needs, a company plans to cut 60% of its capacity and invest heavily in leading-edge technology. This will mean a major realignment of procedures, which will affect over 75% of employees. How can management ensure acceptance of these changes?

A) Involve employees in creating the solutions needed.
B) Ensure that the organization’s core values and behaviors remain stable.
C) Require that all managers agree with the company’s value system.
D) Provide the company’s mission statement to all employees.

Answer 19

79. Correct Answer: A

Question 20

80. A growing consumer electronics company that primarily operates at a regional level acquires a major global competitor, allowing the company to establish a global footprint and significantly increase market share. The acquisition deal is scheduled to close in four months and will double the company in size to 20,000 employees globally and increase revenues to $10 billion. The CEO and the executive leadership team are committed to achieving a strategic goal of being one of the top three consumer electronics companies in the world within three years; however, they also recognize that there are significant challenges that must be overcome. The chief human resources officer (CHRO) is asked to partner with the business line leaders on the talent integration agenda. The CHRO believes that it is essential to redefine and energize the organization’s culture. A more global mindset will place culture as the forefront issue for the merged entities. Many business line leaders have expressed concern that very rapid growth has put the company at risk of losing its original culture. However, part of the acquired company’s success was driven by its culture, and that culture should be considered for adoption. The CHRO is convinced that this is actually an opportunity for the company to create a new culture that would include components of both the legacy and acquired company cultures. But introducing a completely redefined culture is a risky proposition at a time when the company is already vulnerable due to the high rate of extensive change. Which is the first step the CHRO should take to facilitate consensus and gain support for initiating culture change in the merged company?

A) A. Implement the culture change that is needed regardless of conflicting views.
B) B. Develop a strategic plan and outline on how the new culture will be defined.
C) C. Create a cross-organizational task force for redefining the company culture.
D) D. Meet with resistant executive committee members to gain understanding.

Answer 20

80. Correct Answer: D

Question 21

81. The HR director receives a call from the vice president of operations (VPO) requesting immediate termination of the local HR manager. While they are talking, the HR director can hear that the VPO is in the company’s cafeteria. The HR director requests that the VPO go to a less public area to call back. The VPO refuses, stating, “I don’t care who hears this conversation; I want the HR manager fired today.” The HR director insists that the VPO go to a more private location, and the VPO agrees and they finish their conversation, where the VPO describes the situation and reasons for requesting the termination. The HR director asks a few questions and quickly determines that the root cause appears to be a clash of personality and not a terminable offense. The HR director then receives a call from the HR manager, who explains to the HR director that the HR manager was discussing the termination of an employee with the VPO, and the VPO became angry and began yelling at the HR manager, insulting the HR manager and angrily leaving the office. The HR director must determine how to resolve the situation.
    What is the best way for the HR director to handle the VPO’s request to terminate the HR manager?

A) A. Conduct a full investigation into the HR manager’s work practices to determine if the HR manager should be terminated.
B) B. Inform the VPO that firing the HR manager is unwarranted and that they must learn work out their differences.
C) C. Discuss the situation with other executives and make a decision about the HR manager’s termination based on their feedback.
D) D. Mediate a face-to-face discussion between the HR manager and the VPO to discuss the situation.

Answer 21

81. Correct Answer: D

Question 22

82. Which step should the HR director advise the staffing organization manager to take to build credibility with the hiring managers?

A) A. Coordinate with the staffing organization recruiters to refer the hiring managers to the staffing organization team when requisitions are being submitted.
B) B. Advise the hiring managers to submit all requisitions directly to the staffing organization team.
C) C. Suggest that the HR director call the hiring managers on behalf of the staffing organization manager.
D) D. Develop a dashboard of recruiting metrics that can be used to provide routine updates for the hiring managers of the staffing organization team’s results.

Answer 22

82. Correct Answer: D

Question 23

83. The SVP weighs the needs of her staff against the need to stabilize and advance the HR function in the merged organization. Which step should she take first to resolve the differences in how they view the issues?

A) A. Show leadership by moving forward with her approach and focus on providing her direct reports with evidence of the merits of an engagement strategy.
B) B. Educate HR leadership on how engagement influences outcomes and work with her direct reports to develop a business case for an HR-focused engagement strategy.
C) C. Wait four to six months before she makes any recommendations so that she does not appear to be autocratic or too aggressive.
D) D. Give in to the HR team and their suggestions as a show of confidence and to establish her role as a mediator.

Answer 23

83. Correct Answer: B

Question 24

84. Executive leadership reveals to management that current cash flow is being adversely affected by delinquent and slow-paying accounts. HR is asked to collaborate with the sales manager to find a solution. How could HR best assist sales in this situation?

A) Conduct a regression analysis of the sales incentive system.
B) Research and recommend local collection agencies.
C) Arrange cross training between the sales and accounting functions.
D) Arrange financial basics workshops for all sales personnel.

Answer 24

A) Conduct a regression analysis of the sales incentive system.

Question 25

85. An HR professional wants to represent the percentage of turnover for each of the last five years. Which graphic data analysis tool will be most effective for visualizing yearly turnover trends?

A) Check sheet
B) Pareto chart
C) Control chart
D) Histogram

Answer 25

85. Correct Answer: D

Question 26

86. What characterizes an effective HR leader?

A) Technical expertise
B) Personal ambition
C) Collaboration
D) Close supervision

Answer 26

86. Correct Answer: C

Question 27

87. The HR director of a mid-sized retailer recently has begun participating in the business strategy sessions. The senior leadership team (SLT) has completed their SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis and has identified mobile capabilities as one of the organization’s weaknesses. Specifically, they lack a sophisticated web presence. Customers often complain about their experience buying online, particularly via mobile phones. While many searches are initiated on the website, few result in purchases. Currently, the sales department is responsible for mobile sales. However, the sales leader and the sales team are traditional face-to-face salespeople, and developing the website is not their priority. The website is managed by a team that includes a seasoned sales professional who is unfamiliar with technology, a recent college graduate with a computer science degree, and a summer intern who is the child of the CEO. They are doing their best but are not equipped to efficiently create and maintain a mobile-supported website. The HR director recognizes this opportunity to build organizational capability and credibility as a strategic business partner. The HR director recommends to the SLT that HR take responsibility for this issue and return to the next strategy session with recommendations. The CEO welcomes this suggestion and puts “Building our mobile capability” on the agenda for the following month’s session. The day after the meeting, the sales director calls the HR director and says that after a conversation, the CEO has decided that the sales director should take the lead with developing the recommendation on building mobile capability. Which approach should the HR director initially take to clarify accountability for the website?

A) A. Thank the sales director for taking the lead and, after informing her HR team, cross the project off HR’s action list.
B) B. Disagree with the sales director and talk to the CEO to request that HR be reinstated as the project lead.
C) C. Meet with the sales director to discuss a possible strategic partnership to develop a strong set of recommendations for the SLT.
D) D. Confront the CEO and state that the decision to have the sales director take the lead is wrong and unfair.

Answer 27

87. Correct Answer: C

Question 28

88. What data should the HR director present at the meeting to best support the selection of a new primary recruiting vendor?

A) A. Pros and cons of partnership with each of three finalists, along with the final recommendation
B) B. Strategic objectives and criteria along with a summary of each vendor’s capabilities and ability to fulfill needs
C) C. Data collected during the needs assessment, with input from each department lead on the importance of each need
D) D. Outline of the RFP responses from each of three finalists, with a summary to support the final selection

Answer 28

88. Correct Answer: B

Question 29

89. Following a very strong return rate of more than 80%, the vice president of HR distributes the new employee engagement survey results for each department to the department directors for sharing and action planning with their teams. What should the vice president instruct the department heads to do next?

A) A. No other action is needed after the department heads receive the results.
B) B. Let the department heads decide what approach is best for their departments, since they know their people best and how to proceed on preparing prioritized action plans.
C) C. Provide a template that each department head can use that will identify the top three prioritized action items for each department and the number-one area of concern employees feel the CEO must address.
D) D. Let the department heads know that HR will develop a process and distribute it at a later time.

Answer 29

C) C. Provide a template that each department head can use that will identify the top three prioritized action items for each department and the number-one area of concern employees feel the CEO must address.

Question 30

90. The product development team has missed its last two milestones, and the VP of administration is afraid that the project will not meet its deadline. This could damage the career hopes of the VP of administration. The VP of HR has become a good friend and ally. What action should the VP of HR recommend to the VP of administration?

A) A. Conduct a root cause analysis of the latest schedule failure.
B) B. Report performance issues to the heads of the departments whose members are on the team.
C) C. Discuss the issues candidly and as soon as possible with the executive leadership team.
D) D. Increase oversight of team members’ work and attempt to make up for lost time.

Answer 30

A) A. Conduct a root cause analysis of the latest schedule failure.