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Question 1

31. What leadership theory classifies leaders according to their concerns with people and tasks?

A) Theory X/Theory Y
B) Fiedler’s theory
C) Path-goal theory
D) Blake-Mouton theory

Answer 1

31. Correct Answer: D

Question 2

32. The operations director suggests to the HR director that the new mobile leader role should report into the operations function. What action should the HR director take?

A) A. State that this isn’t HR’s area of expertise, so it would be better to discuss this with individuals who have more experience in this area.
B) B. Indicate to the operations director the negative impact this decision could have on the department and themselves should they not be able to execute on strategy.
C) C. Offer to facilitate a discussion with the operations director and the SLT to consider the various options for where mobile should sit in the organization.
D) D. Tell the operations director that the decision has already been made and that it would be disruptive to revisit it at this point

Answer 2

32. Correct Answer: C

Question 3

33. A vice president (VP) of HR is new to the organization. Which action would be best for her to take during the first few weeks?

A) Be quiet and just try to learn by watching what others do.
B) Prepare a critical analysis of the previous HR strategic plan to discuss with senior management.
C) Ask other members of the senior management team out for lunch and a chat.
D) Quickly assemble a proposal for a strategic initiative to establish her reputation

Answer 3

B) Prepare a critical analysis of the previous HR strategic plan to discuss with senior management.

Question 4

34. A vice president (VP) of HR has joined a senior leadership team charged with identifying possible acquisitions. The VP of HR has never worked with the other team members and barely knows them. Which action would best allow the VP to develop influence with these other team members?

A) Take time to socialize with them.
B) Tell them about how you have a self-interest in the project.
C) Show respect for their high organizational positions.
D) Influence is an attribute that cannot be directly controlled or created.

Answer 4

34. Correct Answer: A

Question 5

35. During a non–work group lunch, an HR manager overhears an HR staff member discussing a recent new hire’s previous job experiences with another staff member. The information is not sensitive, nor was the intention malicious. What should the HR person do?

A) Ignore the occurrence since it was harmless.
B) Issue a written warning to protect the organization from potential liability under local privacy laws.
C) Remind the colleague later that it is not ethical to divulge confidential information.
D) Warn the employee in writing that this information has been divulged.

Answer 5

35. Correct Answer: C

Question 6

36. Which best describes the reasoning for the development of a comprehensive organizational code of conduct policy?

A) Providing technical and procedural guidelines of relevant laws
B) Defining behavioral and judgment expectations for all employees
C) Ensuring transparency and openness between all employees
D) Creating a safe and fair working environment for all employees

Answer 6

36. Correct Answer: B

Question 7

37. In professional networking terminology, what is the value of the type of person that Malcolm Gladwell described as a “connector”?

A) Access to individuals at very high levels of power in organizations
B) Expert knowledge of the latest professional theories and trends
C) Ability to increase the size of one’s network exponentially
D) Quality coaching on relationship management skills

Answer 7

37. Correct Answer: C

Question 8

38.. A company’s division president arrives late for the annual staff holiday party. As the division president greets the 200 guests in attendance, the HR vice president (VP) notices some erratic behavior. The division president casually admits to the HR VP to drinking prior to the party. The division president then begins loudly complaining that the directions to the event facility provided by the new HR site manager were wrong, causing the late arrival time. The HR VP reads the directions and confirms their accuracy, but the division president continues making rude and disparaging remarks about the directions and the HR site manager. As the evening progresses, many employees begin expressing concerns to the HR VP about the division president’s erratic behavior.
How should the HR VP address the division president’s behavior to demonstrate a high level of personal integrity?

A) A. Immediately call the company CEO to request quick removal of the president to prevent further risks to the company.
B) B. Discreetly mitigate the president’s behavior during the event and schedule a debrief meeting first thing the next morning.
C) C. Request the other executives in attendance to intervene during the event by distracting the division president away from employees.
D) D. E-mail the CEO to schedule a follow-up coaching session with the division president the next day.

Answer 8

B) B. Discreetly mitigate the president’s behavior during the event and schedule a debrief meeting first thing the next morning.

Question 9

39. After losing an important business contract with an overseas client, a negotiator learns that her counterpart felt she rushed the process. The business negotiator thought she was being efficient with their time. Which approach would allow her to improve her cross-cultural negotiation skills?

A) Rely on cultural stereotypes to formulate quick reactions to a counterpart’s behavior.
B) Insist on the use of objective criteria during any future negotiation process.
C) Study the context and the person opposite of her at the bargaining table.
D) Clarify time management issues at the start of the negotiation process.

Answer 9

C) Study the context and the person opposite of her at the bargaining table.

Question 10

40. A company has recently decided that a comprehensive system for payroll, time and attendance, and employee records retention is needed. An HR manager has been assigned to a team charged with evaluating different systems and vendor responses to the requests for proposal. The team includes IT, finance, legal, and procurement specialists. The team is impressed with several of the systems presented. They are pleasantly surprised when the top two systems offer competitive pricing. However, there is a lack of consensus on the committee about which program to select and implement. Disagreement on the team centers on whether speed of implementation or potential scalability is more important. The committee has been tasked with making a timely decision and putting a system in place quickly, but, based on the presentations and the longterm goals of the company, scalability is viewed by many members as an important aspect for consideration. As the HR team will be using the program almost exclusively, the HR manager has a good deal of input on the final decision. The HR manager is uncertain about how to represent HR’s needs on the committee. What should the manager do?

A) A. Ask HR colleagues in other organizations what features they think are needed.
B) B. Defer to the technical expertise of the IT members of the committee.
C) C. Meet with members of the HR team who will use the system.
D) D. Confer offline with several of the vendors to become more proficient in the issues.

Answer 10

C) C. Meet with members of the HR team who will use the system.

Question 11

41. What would be the best advice for an HR manager presenting a complex analysis of workforce needs and recommendations to a leadership group?

A) Include all data in visuals.
B) Let the audience draw its own conclusions.
C) Practice alone with visuals.
D) Frame the information.

Answer 11

D) Frame the information.

Question 12

42. How should the consultant respond to the HR manager’s offer regarding changes to the report?

A) A. Disregard the offer and suggestion of referral for cooperation, not mentioning it to anyone else.
B) B. Decline the offer, saying that it would be unethical, and report it to the CEO and his supervisor.
C) C. Delay a response and then take active steps to avoid a direct confrontation with the manager.
D) D. Accept the offer, since the referrals will help the consultant and the management consulting company.

Answer 12

42. Correct Answer: B

Question 13

43. The CHRO has received numerous e-mails from employees about positive interactions with the interim CEO. How should the CHRO handle these e-mails?

A) A. Forward the e-mails with a note to the interim CEO.
B) B. Ask employees to e-mail the interim CEO directly.
C) C. Disregard the feedback as irrelevant for an interim CEO.
D) D. Send a compilation of feedback anonymously.

Answer 13

43. Correct Answer: B

Question 14

44. Based on the call, which document(s) is most important for the HR director to update to ensure that the company protects itself from future litigation?

A) A. List of HR processes necessary after an employee is terminated
B) B. All paperwork needed to terminate employment
C) C. Language guide for managers conducting termination meetings
D) D. Formal approval process for terminations

Answer 14

44. Correct Answer: D

Question 15

45. The nation in which a global organization is headquartered has anti-bribery laws that are extraterritorial. How will this affect the organization’s code of conduct?

A) Sections on bribery will have to conform to local laws and business customs.
B) HR departments will be required to submit annual reports of issues to headquarters.
C) The global policies on bribery will have to conform to the law in the headquarters country.
D) The code must advise local employees to discuss possible infractions with their managers.

Answer 15

C) The global policies on bribery will have to conform to the law in the headquarters country.

Question 16

46. What are the three main types of world legal systems?

A) Legislative, judicial, executive
B) Civil, criminal, corporate
C) Civil, common, religious
D) Written, oral, transcribed

Answer 16

C) Civil, common, religious

Question 17

47. The vice president of HR of an organization in a highly competitive industry has heard that the federal employee health and safety agency is considering increasing its employee safety regulations. What would be the best action for the vice president to take?

A) Take the opportunity at the next HR professional gathering to discuss the situation with other HR leaders.
B) Urge HR staff and employees to send messages to their representatives protesting the need for expensive new regulations.
C) Pay for a full-page newspaper advertisement that presents arguments against any new health and safety regulations.
D) Provide testimony to the agency stating preferences and the need to make new regulations apply to businesses of all sizes.

Answer 17

D) Provide testimony to the agency stating preferences and the need to make new regulations apply to businesses of all sizes.

Question 18

48. An organization has to increase its hiring without increasing HR head count. How could machine learning help?

A) By analyzing historical data on successful hires
B) By providing more accurate and timely progress reports on recruitment goals
C) By reviewing applications to identify and contact promising candidates
D) By making and managing appointments for candidate interviews

Answer 18

48. Correct Answer: C

Question 19

49. What should the HR manager do to ensure that the new incentive plan will drive behaviors that will result in increased sales?

A) A. Post the plan on the company’s intranet for all employees to read and encourage them to ask questions of the production manager.
B) B. Train the supervisors on how to be better mentors and coaches to increase productivity, thus driving higher incentives.
C) C. Enhance the performance management system and simplify the performance appraisal process to measure progress.
D) D. Communicate to sales the reason why the plan is being implemented, including how individual performance drives incentives.

Answer 19

49. Correct Answer: D

Question 20

50. An HR consulting team wants to better understand the odds that a particular initiative can be implemented successfully. What tool is designed to support this analysis?

A) Force-field analysis
B) Multi-criteria decision analysis
C) Delphi technique
D) SWOT analysis

Answer 20

D) SWOT analysis

Question 21

51. What action should the HR director take regarding the positions of the employees who decline to relocate?

A) A. Allow those who decline to relocate to work remotely.
B) B. Contract with an employment agency to fill the positions.
C) C. Persuade these employees with additional relocation benefits.
D) D. Fill the positions with temporary employees for the time being.

Answer 21

A) A. Allow those who decline to relocate to work remotely.

Question 22

52. What criteria should the HR director propose to use in order to determine how to reduce personnel costs?

A) A. Require the head of each department to reduce their head count by a percentage.
B) B. Use the performance reviews of employees and eliminate the weakest.
C) C. Use a combination of performance evaluations, current skill sets needed, and salary information.
D) D. Eliminate the middle manager positions throughout the entire organization, regardless of the skill sets those managers may have.

Answer 22

C) C. Use a combination of performance evaluations, current skill sets needed, and salary information.

Question 23

53. An HR function has recently acquired a business intelligence (BI) system with online analytical processing capabilities. What is one danger that the leader of the function should be alert to?

A) Increased need for monitoring of software maintenance
B) More problematic relationship with IT support
C) Analytical projects with no strategic benefit
D) More time spent considering data from different angles

Answer 23

53. Correct Answer: C

Question 24

54. Management has asked the HR director for help in identifying a benefit plan that manages increased costs without sacrificing employee morale. Which is the best action for the HR director to take?

A) Conduct several representative focus groups.
B) Purchase a benchmarking survey of comparable organizations.
C) Hold individual interviews with employees with more than ten years’ tenure.
D) Survey all employees anonymously through a third-party survey.

Answer 24

54. Correct Answer: A

Question 25

55. A new head of HR would like to introduce a program to benefit employees who have added a new family member (newborns, adoptees or foster children, or older family members). It would allow greater flexibility in scheduling for the two years following the change in family status. HR staff include a question on the annual employee survey to estimate interest and use. They report back to the head of HR that survey responses do not indicate more than 2% interest in participation in the program. How should the head of HR respond?

A) Thank the staff, but implement the program based on its ethical merits.
B) Accept the data, but hire an outside firm to conduct focus groups.
C) Ask for more information about the survey participation rates.
D) Praise the staff for basing their recommendation on actual data.

Answer 25

55. Correct Answer: C

Question 26

56. A small international cruise line recently hired a new HR director. The HR director will be responsible for supporting 500 crew members representing more than 50 nationalities. In one week, the ship sets sail with stops at ports of call in many different countries and jurisdictions around the world. When the HR director reports to station for the first day on the job, he receives a phone call from the captain, who asks about the plan to ensure that the diverse crew maintains a high-quality guest experience throughout the cruise season. Before he can answer, the captain requests a report within the next two weeks outlining how the HR director will add value to the bottom line through effective people management strategies. What is the most effective course of action for the newly hired HR director to pursue to ensure that the captain’s deadline is met?

A) A. Prepare a business case, recommending strategies that were effective in the HR director’s former place of employment.
B) B. Consult with the cruise line’s guest relations officer to exchange ideas regarding industry best practices.
C) C. Meet with supervisors of the dining and housekeeping staff to learn how they motivate members of their staff.
D) D. Review crew contracts to determine which financial incentives are in place to support a customer service orientation.

Answer 26

56. Correct Answer: B

Question 27

57. Which action should the HR director take to help the leadership team see the value in employee surveys?

A) A. Prepare the survey, outline the benefits, and ask the leadership team for ideas on sharing the results.
B) B. Complete the next employee survey and present the results and solutions to the leadership team.
C) C. Complete the next employee survey, analyze the responses, and share them only with the CEO.
D) D. Inform them that surveys are just a part of doing business and conduct the survey as planned.

Answer 27

A) A. Prepare the survey, outline the benefits, and ask the leadership team for ideas on sharing the results.

Question 28

58. The HR director determines that the HRIS project has insufficient resources and approves hiring additional staff. The two more-tenured managers want to give preference to a job candidate who has ties to the HR director and whose hiring would please the HR director. How should the new manager respond to pressure received from the other managers?

A) A. Tell the HR director about the pressure that his colleagues have been placing on him.
B) B. Make himself unavailable on the day the interview with this particular candidate is to take place.
C) C. Tell his colleagues that they all should evaluate the candidates based on their experience.
D) D. Since the HR manager is new, it would be better to agree to hire the candidate in order to avoid conflict.

Answer 28

C) C. Tell his colleagues that they all should evaluate the candidates based on their experience.

Question 29

59. According to Blake-Mouton’s behavioral leadership theory, what kind of manager delegates all tasks and does not exercise any authority over the team?

A) Team leader
B) Impoverished manager
C) Task manager
D) Country club manager

Answer 29

59. Correct Answer: B

Question 30

60. An HR manager has been promoted to a position at the organization’s headquarters after ten years at a divisional office. What would be the best first step in establishing himself in his new position?

A) Focus on learning assigned job tasks rather than learning the organization.
B) Watch how leadership behaves when faced with decisions and changes.
C) Promote a promising idea that appeals to most HR staff and employees.
D) Study the organization’s policies and decision-making hierarchy.

Answer 30

60. Correct Answer: B