Chapter 1

Question 1

What is human resource Management?

Answer 1

Managing people in organizations to drive successful organizational performance and achievement of organization’s strategic goals.
Managing human capital: knowledge, education, training, skills, expertise

Question 2

What are Operational responsibilities of HRM?

Answer 2

Analyzing jobs
Planning future workforce requirements
Selecting employees
orienting and training employees
managing compensation and reward plans
communicating with employees

Question 3

What is strategy?

Answer 3

the company’s plan for how it will balance its internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats in order to maintain a

Question 4

What is strategic human resource management?

Answer 4

is the pattern of human resources deployments and activities that enable an organization to achieve its strategic goals
HR specialists are expected to be change agents

Question 5

What is mission?

Answer 5

The basic purpose of the organization as well as its scope of operations.

Question 6

What is strategic vision?

Answer 6

A statement about where the company is going and what it can become in the future; clarifies the long term direction of the company and its strategic intent.

Question 7

What are core values?

Answer 7

The strong and enduring beliefs and principles that the company uses as a foundation for its decisions.

Question 8

What is the SWOT analysis?

Answer 8

A SWOT analysis is a combined external and internal analysis.
S = Strengths W = Weaknesses O = Opportunities T = Threats

Question 9

What is strategy formulation?

Answer 9

Providing input as to what is possible given the types and numbers of people available.

Question 10

What is Strategy implementation.

Answer 10

Making primary resource allocation decisions about structure, processes, and human resources.

Question 11

What is balanced scorecard?

Answer 11

A measurement system that translates organization’s strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures. Includes financial, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, etc.

Question 12

What are external environmental influences?

Answer 12

economic conditions 
labour market issues 
technology
government
globalization

Question 13

What are the external economic influences?

Answer 13

Employment levels
Productivity levels
Growth of the service sector

Question 14

What are some of the labour market issues?

Answer 14

Canada’s workforce is among the most diverse in the world
Increasing workforce diversity: visible and ethnic minorities, women, aboriginal population, persons with disabilities
Generational differences – Traditionalists, Baby Boomers (Sandwich Generation), Generation X, Generation Y

Question 15

What are some of the demographic issues that affect labour market?

Answer 15

Immigration
Aging population – retirees staying in or returning to
workforce
More women in the workforce
A better educated workforce also higher literacy
More contingent workers (workers who do not have
regular employment status).

Question 16

What is HRSM and what are its benefits?

Answer 16

Human Resources Information System - A computerized system that provides current and accurate data
for the purposes of control and decision making. To stay
competitive, organizations must invest in effective HRIS.

Question 17

What are the benefits of HRSM?

Answer 17

Benefits:
 Store and retrieve large quantities of data.
 Combine and reconfigure data to create new information.
 Better knowledge management.
 Easier communications and improved flexibility.
 Lower administrative costs, increased productivity and
response times.

Question 18

What are some of the technological influences?

Answer 18

From Twitter to Facebook to videoconferencing, a wide range of technology is available to organizations today
Questions are raised concerning data control, accuracy, right to privacy, and ethics
Firms are monitoring employee e-mail, voice mail, telephone conversations, computer usage, and behaviour (using video surveillance).

Question 19

What are some of the government issues?

Answer 19

Ensure policies and practices comply with new and changing laws covering:
human rights
employment standards 
labour relations 
occupational health and safety 
workers’ compensation

Question 20

What are some globalization influences?

Answer 20

 The trend toward opening up foreign markets to international trade and investment
 Really began in post-war years in formation of GATT
 Essential for long term success
 Canada faces gap with U.S. in productivity improvement
 Multinational corporations: conduct business around the world, seek cheap skilled labour
 HR professionals must become familiar with employment legislation in other countries and manage ethical dilemmas when labour standards are lower than those in Canada

Question 21

What is an organizational culture?

Answer 21

core values, beliefs and assumptions that are widely shared by members of an organization
 often conveyed through an organization’s mission statement

Question 22

What is an organizational climate?

Answer 22

Prevailing atmosphere that exists and impacts employees
 friendly or unfriendly, open or secretive, rigid or flexible, innovative or stagnant
 influenced by leadership, HR polices, organizational communication

Question 23

What are line vs support managers?

Answer 23

Line managers - managers directly involved in the business of the organization.
Support Staff managers: act as advisors to help line managers achieve organizational goals.
HR are support staff.

Question 24

Describe brief history of HR.

Answer 24

Scientific Management
 process of “scientifically” analyzing manufacturing processes to reduce costs and compensating employees based on their performance levels
Human Relations Movement
 belief that the attitudes and feelings of workers are important and deserve more attention (concern for people)
Human Resources Movement
 focus on concern for people and productivity