Human Resource Management | 20+ MCQ | Part 2
Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or production levels is part of the leading function of human resource management.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or production levels is part of the controlling rather than the leading function of human resource management. Leading involves maintaining morale and motivating workers.
The planning function of management includes establishing goals and standards and developing forecasts.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: The planning function of management includes establishing goals and standards, developing rules and procedures, and developing plans and forecasting. Planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling are the five functions of the management process.
Communicating is one of the five basic functions of the management process.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling are the five functions of the management process. Although communicating with employees is part of every step, it is not one of the five basic functions.
Hiring the wrong person for the job, committing unfair labor practices, and having your people not doing their best are personnel mistakes that hinder firms from achieving positive results.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Common HRM mistakes include hiring the wrong people, having your people not doing their best, and committing unfair labor practices. The primary goal of HRM is to help the firm achieve its goals, and such HRM mistakes hinder that process.
Autonomy is the right to make decisions, direct the work of others, and give orders.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Authority rather than autonomy is the right to make decisions, direct the work of others, and give orders. In management, authority is distinguished between line authority and staff authority.
Staff managers are authorized to issue orders to subordinates and are directly in charge of accomplishing the organization's basic goals.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Line managers, not staff managers, are authorized to issue orders down the chain of command. Staff managers have the authority to advise other managers or employees.
Human resource managers are generally staff managers.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Human resource managers are usually staff managers. They assist and advise line managers in areas like recruiting, hiring, and compensation. However, line managers still have human resource duties.
Staff managers have staff authority which enables them to issue orders down the chain of command unlike line managers.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Line managers can issue orders down the chain of command, while staff managers are only able to advise other managers and employees.
In small organizations, line managers frequently handle all personnel duties without the assistance of a human resource staff.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: In small firms, line managers may carry out personnel tasks unassisted. However, large firms of over 100 employees require human resource specialists.
Human resource managers assist line managers with recruiting, hiring, and compensation.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Assisting and advising line managers is the heart of the human resource manager's job. HR assists in recruiting, hiring, and compensation.
Staff authority gives a manager the right to advise other managers or employees.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Staff authority gives a manager the right to advise other managers or employees. It creates an advisory relationship.
The role of labor relations specialists includes investigating EEO grievances and collecting data about jobs for the purpose of writing job descriptions.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Labor relations specialists advise management on all aspects of union–management relations. EEO coordinators investigate EEO grievances, and job analysts collect data for job descriptions.
Shared service HR teams focus on assisting top management in big picture issues such as developing a firm's long-term strategic plan.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Corporate HR teams focus on assisting top management in big picture issues such as developing a firm's long-term strategic plan.
Centralized HR units whose employees are shared by all the companies' departments to obtain advice are called shared service.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Shared service is centralized HR units whose employees are shared by all the companies' departments to obtain advice on matters such as discipline problems.
Centers of expertise are specialized HR that act like consulting firms within the company on particular topics.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Centers of expertise are basically specialized HR consulting firms within the company. For example, a center might provide specialized advice in an area like organizational change to all the company's various units.
A key concept of the textbook is that human resource management is the sole responsibility of human resource managers, so line managers and staff managers rely heavily on HR specialists to hire the best employees.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Human resource management is the responsibility of every manager—not just those in human resources. Throughout every page in the textbook, you'll therefore find an emphasis on practical material that you as a manager will need to perform your day-to-day management responsibilities.
A key concept of the textbook is that effective human resource management practices add measurable value to an organization.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Employers need human resource management practices that add value, and these practices are an essential part of HR's function.
What are the five basic functions of the management process? Explain some of the specific activities involved in each function. Which function is most closely associated with human resource management?
Answer: The five basic functions are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Planning activities include establishing goals and standards, developing rules and procedures, and developing plans and forecasting. Organizing activities include giving specific task assignments to subordinates, establishing departments, delegating authority to subordinates, and establishing channels of authority and communication. Staffing activities include determining what type of people should be hired, recruiting prospective employees, and setting performance standards. Leading activities include maintaining morale and motivating subordinates. Controlling activities include setting standards such as sales quotas and quality standards and taking corrective action as needed. Staffing is the function most readily related to human resource management. However, HR managers actually perform all five functions.
Why is human resource management important to all managers? What is the role of line managers in human resource management?
Answer: HR management is important to all managers because managers can do everything else right—lay brilliant plans, draw clear organization charts, set up world-class assembly lines, and use sophisticated accounting controls—but still fail, by hiring the wrong people or by not motivating subordinates. On the other hand, many managers—presidents, generals, governors, supervisors—have been successful even with inadequate plans, organizations, or controls because they had the knack of hiring the right people for the right jobs and motivating, appraising, and developing them. The direct handling of people is an integral part of every line manager's duties. More specifically, line managers must place the right person in the right job, orient and train new employees, improve the job performance of each person, gain cooperation and develop smooth working relationships, interpret the company's policies and procedures, control labor costs, and protect employees' health and physical condition.
Explain the difference between line authority and staff authority. What type of authority do human resource managers usually have?
Answer: Authority is the right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and to give orders. Line managers are authorized to direct the work of subordinates and are directly in charge of accomplishing the organization's basic goals. Staff managers are authorized to assist and advise line managers in accomplishing these basic goals. Human resource managers are usually staff managers because they are responsible for assisting and advising line managers in areas like recruiting, hiring, and compensation. However, human resource managers do have line authority within their own department.
What are the two distinct functions carried out by human resource managers? Describe each function in a brief essay.
Answer: The functions are a line function and a staff (assist and advise) function. HR managers exert line authority within the HR department because they direct the activities of the people in that department. In the staff (assist and advise) function, HR managers assist in hiring, training, evaluating, rewarding, counseling, promoting, and firing employees. They also administer benefit programs and help line managers comply with EEO, occupational health and safety laws and play an important role in handling grievances and labor relations.
Describe how shared service HR arrangements and embedded HR arrangements differ.
Answer: Many organizations plan to use technology to institute more "shared services" (or "transactional") arrangements. These establish centralized HR units whose employees are shared by all the companies' departments to obtain advice on matters such as discipline problems. The shared services HR teams offer their services through intranets or centralized call centers; they aim to provide managers and employees with specialized support in day-to-day HR activities (such as discipline problems). Embedded HR teams have HR generalists (also known as "relationship managers" or "HR business partners") assigned to functional departments like sales and production. They provide the selection and other assistance the departments need.
