Chapter 1

Question 1

Certified Human Resources Professionals (CHRP)

Answer 1

Human resource practitioner, formally accredited to practice, who reflects a threshold professional level of practice

Question 2

cost leadership strategy

Answer 2

Strategy to gain competitive advantage through lower costs of operations and lower prices for outputs

Question 3

cultural forces

Answer 3

Challenges facing a firm’s decision makers because of cultural differences among employees or changes in core cultural or social values occurring at the larger societal level.

Question 4

cultural mosaic

Answer 4

Canadian ideal of encouraging each ethnic, racial, and social group to maintain its own cultural heritage, forming a national mosaic of different cultures

Question 5

demographic changes

Answer 5

changes in the demographics of the labour force (e.g. education levels, age levels, participation rates) that occur slowly and are usually known in advance

Question 6

differentiation strategy

Answer 6

Strategy to gain competitive advantage by creating a distinct product or offering a unique service

Question 7

economic forces

Answer 7

Economic factors facing Canadian business today, including global trade forces and the force to increase one’s won competitiveness and productivity levels

Question 8

educational attainment

Answer 8

The highest educational level attained by an individual worker, employee group, or population

Question 9

focus strategy

Answer 9

Strategy to gain a competitive advantage by focusing on the needs of a specific segment of the total market

Question 10

functional authority

Answer 10

Authority that allows staff experts to make decisions and take actions normally reserved for line managers

Question 11

human resource audit

Answer 11

An examination of the human resource policies, practices, and systems of a firm (or division) to eliminate deficiencies and improve ways to achieve goals.

Question 12

human resource management

Answer 12

The leadership and management of people within an organization using systems, methods, processes, and procedures that enable employees to optimize their performance and in turn their contribution to the organization and its goals

Question 13

knowledge workers

Answer 13

Members of occupations generating, processing, and analyzing information (such as scientists and management consultants

Question 14

line authority

Answer 14

Authority to make decisions about production, performance and people

Question 15

mechanization

Answer 15

the shift toward converting work that was traditionally done by hand to being completed by mechanical or electronic devices

Question 16

mission statement

Answer 16

Statement outlining the purpose, long-term objectives, and activities the organization will pursue and the course for the future

Question 17

organization character

Answer 17

the product of all organization’s features – people, objectives, technology, size, age, unions, policies, successes and failures

Question 18

organizational culture

Answer 18

the core beliefs and assumptions that are widely shared by all organizational members.

Question 19

organizational goals

Answer 19

an organization’s short- and long-term goals that human resource management aims to support and enable

Question 20

proactive human resource management

Answer 20

a human resource management approach wherein decision makers anticipate problems or challenges both inside and outside the organization and take action before they impact the organization.

Question 21

Productivity

Answer 21

the ratio of a firm’s outputs (goods and services) divided by its inputs (people, capital, materials, energy)

Question 22

reactive human resource management

Answer 22

a human resource management approach wherein decision makers respond to problems or challenges as they arise rather than anticipate them

Question 23

staff authority

Answer 23

authority to advise, but not direct, others

Question 24

strategic human resource management

Answer 24

integrating the strategic needs of an organization into our choice of human resource management systems and practices to support the organization’s overall mission, strategies, and performance.