IB: chap 5 Human Resources Management Flashcards

1
Q

What is Human Resource Management (HRM)?
A) Managing machines
B) Managing people in an organization
C) Managing finances
D) Managing products

A

B) Managing people in an organization

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2
Q

What does HRM aim to achieve?
A) Attracting and keeping talented employees
B) Reducing employee numbers
C) Increasing product prices
D) Limiting employee training

A

A) Attracting and keeping talented employees

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2
Q

What was a key change during the Industrial Revolution?
A) Shift from industry to agriculture
B) Shift from agriculture to industry
C) Increase in manual labor
D) Decrease in worker rights

A

B) Shift from agriculture to industry

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2
Q

What is the purpose of recruitment in HRM?
A) To fire employees
B) To find and encourage people to apply for jobs
C) To train existing employees
D) To evaluate employee performance

A

B) To find and encourage people to apply for jobs

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3
Q

Which of the following is NOT a function of HRM?
A) Recruitment
B) Training
C) Marketing products
D) Employee relations

A

C) Marketing products

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4
Q

What does job analysis involve?
A) Evaluating employee performance
B) Studying job responsibilities and requirements
C) Setting employee salaries
D) Hiring new employees

A

B) Studying job responsibilities and requirements

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5
Q

What is the main goal of employee retention?
A) To reduce training costs
B) To keep employees happy and engaged in their work
C) To increase employee turnover
D) To hire more staff

A

B) To keep employees happy and engaged in their work

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6
Q

What is one role of the HR department during the hiring process?
A) To decide salaries for all positions
B) To conduct interviews and select candidates
C) To manage company finances
D) To create marketing strategies

A

B) To conduct interviews and select candidates

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7
Q

What does ‘induction’ mean in HRM?
A) Firing an employee
B) Introducing new employees to the company
C) Promoting existing employees
D) Evaluating employee performance

A

B) Introducing new employees to the company

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8
Q

Which of the following describes ‘performance appraisal’?
A) Evaluating how well an employee does their job
B) Hiring new employees
C) Firing underperforming staff
D) Setting company policies

A

A) Evaluating how well an employee does their job

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9
Q

What is HR planning?
A) Planning company events
B) Ensuring enough qualified staff are available when needed
C) Planning marketing strategies
D) Planning office layouts

A

B) Ensuring enough qualified staff are available when needed

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9
Q

Which theory focuses on understanding what motivates workers?
A) Scientific Management
B) Theory X and Theory Y
C) Classical Conditioning
D) Behavioral Theory

A

B) Theory X and Theory Y

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10
Q

What is one way companies can improve worker satisfaction?
A) Reduce salaries
B) Increase working hours
C) Provide training and development opportunities
D) Limit communication with management

A

C) Provide training and development opportunities

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11
Q

Why are labor unions important?
A) They help workers negotiate better conditions and pay.
B) They promote competition among workers.
C) They reduce the number of workers.
D) They manage company profits.

A

A) They help workers negotiate better conditions and pay.

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12
Q

What does ‘compensation’ refer to in HRM?
A) The process of hiring new staff.
B) The payment and benefits given to employees.
C) The evaluation of employee performance.
D) The training provided to employees.

A

B) The payment and benefits given to employees.

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12
Q

Which function involves helping employees grow their skills?
A) Employment
B ) HR Development
– C ) Compensation
– D ) Recruitment

A

B ) HR Development

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13
Q

What is a key focus of industrial relations in HRM?
– A ) Managing employee benefits
– B ) Handling relationships between workers and management
– C ) Creating marketing strategies
– D ) Conducting market research

A

B ) Handling relationships between workers and management

14
Q

Which process helps match a candidate’s skills with a job’s requirements?
– A ) Job analysis
– B ) Selection
– C ) Induction
– D ) Recruitment

A

B ) Selection

15
Q

How can organizations ensure they have skilled workers for future needs?
– A ) By ignoring training programs
– B ) Through effective HR planning
– C ) By reducing hiring efforts
– D ) By limiting employee development opportunities

A

B ) Through effective HR planning

16
Q

What is one benefit of having a strong HR department?
– A ) Increased turnover rates
– B ) Improved employee satisfaction and productivity
– C ) Higher costs for recruitment
– D ) Less focus on training

A

B ) Improved employee satisfaction and productivity

17
Q

Scenario: A new restaurant wants to hire staff but doesn’t know where to start.
Question: What should they do first in their recruitment process?

A

Answer: They should identify the types of positions they need to fill, then create job descriptions outlining the responsibilities and qualifications needed for each role.

18
Q

Scenario: An employee feels unmotivated at work.
Question: What can the HR department do to help?

A

The HR department can offer training programs, create opportunities for career advancement, or gather feedback from the employee about what would improve their motivation.

19
Q

Scenario: A company has high turnover rates among its staff.
Question: What steps can they take to improve retention?

A

They can conduct exit interviews to understand why employees leave, improve workplace culture, offer competitive salaries, and provide benefits that meet employee needs.

19
Q

Scenario: An employee has been performing poorly at work.
Question: How should the manager handle this situation?

A

The manager should have a one-on-one meeting with the employee to discuss performance issues, provide constructive feedback, set clear expectations, and offer support or additional training if necessary.

19
Q

Scenario: An organization wants to introduce a new onboarding process for new hires.
Question: What should be included in this process?

A

The onboarding process should include introducing new hires to company policies, providing necessary training, assigning mentors, and familiarizing them with their team members.

19
Q

Scenario: A tech company wants to attract top talent in a competitive market.
Question: What strategies could they use?

A

They could enhance their employer brand by showcasing company culture on social media, offering attractive salary packages, providing flexible working conditions, or highlighting career growth opportunities.

20
Q

Scenario: An organization wants to ensure it has enough skilled workers for future projects.
Question: What should they do?

A

They should engage in workforce planning by analyzing current skills within the organization, forecasting future needs, and investing in training programs for existing employees.

21
Q

An HR manager notices that many employees are unhappy with their work-life balance.
Question: What actions can be taken?

A

The HR manager can implement flexible working hours, promote remote work options, or encourage taking regular breaks and vacations to improve work-life balance.

22
Q

A company is expanding rapidly and needs more staff quickly.
Question: How can they speed up the recruitment process?

A

They can use online job boards, social media platforms for advertising positions, streamline application processes, or consider hiring temporary staff until permanent positions are filled.

23
Q

An organization wants feedback from its employees about workplace improvements.
Question: How can they effectively gather this information?

A

They can conduct anonymous surveys or hold focus group discussions where employees feel safe sharing their thoughts on what changes would benefit them at work.

24
Q

Scenario: An IT firm has recently experienced high turnover rates among its developers.
Question: Describe how the firm could use HRM strategies to retain its talent effectively.

A

The firm could start by conducting exit interviews with departing developers to understand their reasons for leaving (data). Based on this feedback (information), they might identify common issues such as lack of career advancement or poor work-life balance (knowledge). With these insights, they could implement mentorship programs for skill development, offer competitive salaries, improve workplace flexibility, or enhance team collaboration initiatives (wisdom).

24
Q

A manufacturing company is facing challenges with low productivity among its workers.
Question: Explain how HRM can help improve productivity levels

A

The company could analyze performance data (data), looking at factors such as attendance records or output levels (information). By identifying patterns that contribute to low productivity—like inadequate training or poor working conditions (knowledge)—the HR department could then introduce targeted training programs focused on skill enhancement, improve workplace ergonomics, or establish incentive programs that reward high performance (wisdom).

25
Q

An organization is planning a major expansion into a new market but lacks qualified candidates locally.
Question: Discuss how they might approach this situation using effective recruitment strategies.

A

The organization could broaden its recruitment efforts by utilizing online job boards specifically targeting skilled professionals from other regions (data). They might also create partnerships with local universities or technical schools to attract fresh graduates (information). By promoting relocation packages or remote work options (knowledge), they would appeal to potential candidates who may be willing to move or work from home while ensuring that they have access to diverse talent pools (wisdom).

25
Q

Scenario: After implementing a new performance appraisal system, many employees feel anxious about being evaluated.
Question: How should management address these concerns while ensuring effective evaluations?

A

Management could hold workshops explaining how the appraisal system works (data), emphasizing its purpose as a tool for growth rather than punishment (information). By encouraging open communication where employees share their thoughts on the evaluation criteria (knowledge), management could create a supportive environment that fosters trust while ensuring that appraisals are fair and constructive (wisdom).

26
Q

Scenario: A retail store has noticed that customer service ratings have dropped significantly over recent months due to untrained staff members.
Question: How can HRM address this issue effectively?

A

The HR department should first assess current training processes by gathering feedback from both customers (data). Identifying areas where staff lacks knowledge about products or services will provide insight into specific training needs (information). Based on these findings, they could develop targeted training programs focusing on customer service skills while ensuring ongoing support through refresher courses as needed (wisdom).

27
Q

An organization wants its leaders to develop better management skills but lacks resources for formal training programs.
Question: Describe how they might foster leadership development without significant investment.

A

The organization can encourage mentorship programs where experienced leaders guide newer managers through hands-on experience (data). Additionally, creating peer learning groups allows leaders within different departments to share best practices and challenges faced at work (information). This collaborative approach promotes skill sharing while building relationships across teams without requiring extensive financial resources (wisdom).

28
Q

After conducting an annual survey on workplace satisfaction levels among employees at a call center, results indicate low morale due primarily due poor communication from management.
Question: Explain steps that management could take based on these findings.

A

Management should first acknowledge survey results openly with all staff members while expressing commitment towards improving communication channels (data). Implementing regular team meetings where updates are shared allows everyone involved insight into organizational changes while providing opportunities for feedback from frontline workers themselves (information). Over time this builds trust between management & teams leading towards higher morale overall as employees feel valued & heard within decision-making processes impacting them directly (wisdom).

29
Q

Scenario: An education institution wants feedback from students regarding course offerings but struggles with low response rates on surveys sent out via email.
Question: Discuss alternative methods they might use effectively engage students in providing input.

A

The institution could host focus group discussions where students feel comfortable sharing opinions about courses offered without pressure associated with formal surveys (data). Additionally utilizing social media platforms frequented by students enables quick polls gathering immediate responses while fostering engagement through platforms familiar & accessible allowing greater participation rates overall than traditional methods alone would achieve over time leading towards improved course offerings based upon direct student feedback received consistently throughout academic terms ahead as well! (information).

30
Q

Following an organizational restructuring effort aimed at improving efficiency across departments; some teams report feeling disconnected due lack clarity surrounding roles post-restructure.

A

Leadership must communicate clearly outlining changes made during restructuring including detailed descriptions concerning each team’s responsibilities moving forward ensuring everyone understands expectations set forth post-changeover period itself! Regular check-ins through town hall meetings allows opportunity for individuals express concerns openly while receiving reassurance regarding support available from upper management throughout transition phase ultimately fostering unity amongst teams despite initial uncertainty felt initially after major shifts occurred within structure itself! (wisdom).

31
Q

After noticing increased stress levels among staff working overtime frequently; an office manager decides it’s time implement healthier work-life balance initiatives within workplace environment itself!
Question: Describe potential approaches manager could take achieve desired outcomes effectively!

A

The office manager may start by promoting flexible scheduling options allowing individuals choose hours best suited personal needs alongside workload demands placed upon them daily! Encouraging regular breaks throughout day ensures mental health remains prioritized fostering productivity levels overall! Additionally introducing wellness programs such yoga classes during lunch breaks encourages physical activity promoting relaxation techniques ultimately leading towards healthier happier workforce environment long-term!