APHR Practice Test given by Tom with answers | Comprehensive Questions and Answers Latest, Exams of Human Resource Management

Download APHR Practice Test given by Tom with answers | Comprehensive Questions and Answers Latest and more Exams Human Resource Management in PDF only on Docsity! APHR Practice Test given by Tom with answers | Comprehensive Questions and Answers Latest Updated 2024/2025 With 100% Verified Solutions Sustainable competitive advantage - ✔✔When an organization is able to perform an activity to a greater degree than its competitors for an extended period of time Performance Management duties - ✔✔Preparation and administration of appraisals Discipline Development of performance measures The most common reason for failed overseas assignments is: - ✔✔Choosing people who have the technical skills needed to perform the job, but who lack the necessary personality characteristics and family support A function of employee relations is: - ✔✔Relocation and outplacement services An organization has one HR staff person for every ____ employees - ✔✔100 Definition of Development - ✔✔Is more long term in nature. Often includes education in philosophical and theoretical concepts Aimed at developing relationships, often for the purposes of improving leadership skills More general and non-tangible than specific Definition of Training - ✔✔Training is usually a short term process. Training usually requires guidance (or instruction) in a series of steps to gain a skill, or set of predictable knowledge. Often for non-leadership related activities. Aimed at a specific task or job role. Projections of the U.S. labor force - ✔✔The growth in the labor market of female and minority populations will exceed the growth of white non-Hispanic persons More women will be in the paid labor force than in the past and most will be working full-time The U.S. labor force will be more diverse in racial and ethnic terms than in the past The largest number of openings due to growth and replacement needs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is: - ✔✔Service The use of employee empowerment has had what effect upon recruiting? - ✔✔It has shifted the focus away from technical skills to general cognitive and interpersonal skills Increasingly, HR professionals are being viewed as: - ✔✔Strategic partners The largest number of immigrants to the U.S. workforce will come from: - ✔✔North America (Mexico, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean) Dot-com companies offer a dynamic, exciting HR work environment for what reasons? - ✔✔Their small size give HR professionals the ability to speak frequently and directly to the CEO Because of their size and numerous HR needs, HR sees its decisions implemented, quickly sees the impact on the business, and receives personal recognition for successful actions Hostile Working Environment harassment - ✔✔Occurs when an employee is subject to unwelcome advances, sexual innuendos, or offensive gender-related language that is sufficiently severe or pervasive from the perspective of a reasonable person of the same gender as the offended employee. Example: A male employee, over the objections of his female colleagues, continues to display a highly suggestive calendar within his office Rights granted under the Occupational Safety and Health Act: - ✔✔Request an inspection Have a dangerous substance identified Have employer violations posted at the work site Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, organizations must do: - ✔✔Have material safety data sheets for chemicals that employees are exposed to within the workplace Ensure that all containers of hazardous chemicals are labeled with information about the hazard Train employees in the safe handling of all chemicals Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ): - ✔✔Quality or an attribute that employers are allowed to consider when making decisions on the hiring and retention of employees - a quality that when considered in other contexts would constitute discrimination and thus be in violation of civil rights employment law. Such qualifications must be listed in the employment offering. Necessary, rather than preferred, characteristic of the job Job Analysis: - ✔✔Establish and document the 'job relatedness' of employment procedures such as training, selection, compensation, and performance appraisal. Provide a source of legal defensibility of assessment and selection procedures. Job Analysis - Determining Training Needs: - ✔✔Training content Assessment tests to measure effectiveness of training Equipment to be used in delivering the training methods of training (i.e., small group, computer-based, video, classroom...) Job Analysis - Compensation: - ✔✔Skill levels Compensable job factors work environment (e.g., hazards; attention; physical effort) Responsibilities (e.g., fiscal; supervisory) Required level of education (indirectly related to salary level) Job Analysis - Staffing - ✔✔Job duties that should be included in advertisements of vacant positions; Appropriate salary level for the position to help determine what salary should be offered to a candidate; Minimum requirements (education and/or experience) for screening applicants; interview questions; Selection tests/instruments (e.g., written tests; oral tests; job simulations); Applicant appraisal/evaluation forms; Orientation materials for applicants/new hires Job Analysis - Performance Review: - ✔✔Goals and objectives Performance standards Evaluation criteria Length of probationary periods Duties to be evaluated Methods of Job Analysis: - ✔✔Review of job classification systems Incumbent interviews Supervisor interviews Expert panels Structured questionnaires Task inventories Check lists Open-ended questionnaires Observation design jobs, one must thoroughly understand the job as it exists (through job analysis) and its place in the larger work unit's work-flow process (work-flow analysis) The motivational approach to job design: - ✔✔Decision-making autonomy Task significance Interdependence Process of defining how work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job. Job redesign refers to changing the tasks or the way work is performed in an existing job. To effectively design jobs, one must thoroughly understand the job as it exists (through job analysis) and its place in the larger work unit's work-flow process (work-flow analysis) The biological approach to job design: - ✔✔Physical demands Ergonomics Work conditions Process of defining how work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job. Job redesign refers to changing the tasks or the way work is performed in an existing job. To effectively design jobs, one must thoroughly understand the job as it exists (through job analysis) and its place in the larger work unit's work-flow process (work-flow analysis) The perceptual approach of job design: - ✔✔Job complexity Information processing Equipment use Process of defining how work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job. Job redesign refers to changing the tasks or the way work is performed in an existing job. To effectively design jobs, one must thoroughly understand the job as it exists (through job analysis) and its place in the larger work unit's work-flow process (work-flow analysis) Job Rotation: - ✔✔The process of systematically moving a single individual from one job to another over the course of time Job Enrichment: - ✔✔Empowering workers by adding more decision-making authority to jobs Job Enlargement/Extension: - ✔✔Broadening the types of tasks performed; adding to job, combining jobs together Goals in the human resource planning process should come directly from: - ✔✔The analysis of the labor supply and demand Image Advertising: - ✔✔Organizations often advertise specific vacancies. Sometimes, however, organizations advertise just to promote themselves as a good place to work in general. Image advertising is particularly important for companies in highly competitive labor markets that perceive themselves as having a bad image. Indeed, research evidence suggests that the impact of company image on applicant reactions ranks second only to the nature of the work itself Executive Search Firms (ESFs): - ✔✔Almost exclusively find new jobs for people who are already employed. The use of a neutral-appearing selection method that damages a protected group is: - ✔✔Legal if the employer can show that the method is job related and consistent with a business necessity Questions an employer cannot ask an applicant (EEOC Website): - ✔✔Do you have a heart condition? Do you have asthma or any other difficulties breathing? Do you have a disability which would interfere with your ability to perform the job? How many days were you sick last year? Have you ever filed for workers' compensation? Have you ever been injured on the job? Have you ever been treated for mental health problems? What prescription drugs are you currently taking? What is the use of a resume? - ✔✔As a basis for deciding which candidates to investigate further When does an organization check references? - ✔✔After it has determined that the applicant is a finalist for the job What is an assessment center? - ✔✔Uses multiple selection methods to rate either applicants or job incumbents on their managerial potential. Personality Tests: - ✔✔Tests are used to determine if employees have the personality characteristics necessary to be successful in specific managerial jobs or jobs involving international assignments Inbasket: - ✔✔Simulation of the administrative tasks of the manager's job. The exercise includes a variety of documents that may appear in the in-basket on a manager's desk. The participants read the materials and decide how to respond to them. Responses might include delegating tasks, scheduling meetings, writing replies, or completely ignoring the memo! Leaderless Group Discussion: - ✔✔A team of five to seven employees is assigned a problem and must work together to solve it within a certain time period. The problem may involve buying and selling supplies, nominating a subordinate for an award, or assembling a product (1) muscular tension, (2) muscular power, (3) muscular endurance, (4) cardiovascular endurance, (5) flexibility, (6) balance, (7) coordination. Situational Interview: - ✔✔An interview procedure where applicants are confronted with specific issues, questions, or problems that are likely to arise on the job. Can be particularly effective when assessing sensitive issues dealing with the honesty and integrity of candidates Training: - ✔✔Refers to a planned effort by a company to facilitate learning of job-related competencies, knowledge, skills, and behaviors by employees. The goal of training is for employees to master the knowledge, skills, and behaviors emphasized in training and apply them to their day-to-day activities On boarding: - ✔✔Refers to the process of helping new hires adjust to social and performance aspects of their new jobs.104 This is important to help employees adjust to their jobs by establishing relationships to increase satisfaction, clarifying goals and expectations to improve performance, and providing feedback, coaching, and follow-up activities to reduce turnover Behavior Modeling: - ✔✔In the workplace, a component of social learning theory, is the act of showing employees how to do something and guiding them through the process of imitating the modeled behavior. The most accurate way to evaluate the training program is: - ✔✔Measure performance, knowledge, or attitudes among all employees before the training; train only part of the employees; and then, after the training, measure performance again, comparing the results of the two groups. Orientation: - ✔✔Training designed to prepare employees to perform their jobs effectively, learn about the organization, and establish work relationships Purpose of performance management systems: - ✔✔Administrative Developmental Strategic Strategic Congruence: - ✔✔Extent to which a performance management system elicits job performance that is congruent with the organization's strategy, goals, and culture. If a company emphasizes customer service, then its performance management system should assess how well its employees are serving the company's customers Acceptability: - ✔✔Refers to whether the people who use a performance measure accept it. Many elaborate performance measures are extremely valid and reliable, but they consume so much of managers' time that they refuse to use it. Alternatively, those being evaluated by a measure may not accept it Specificity: - ✔✔Extent to which a performance measure tells employees what is expected of them and how they can meet these expectations. Specificity is relevant to both the strategic and developmental purposes of performance management. If a measure does not specify what an employee must do to help the company achieve its strategic goals, it does not achieve its strategic purpose. Additionally, if the measure fails to point out employees' performance problems, it is almost impossible for the employees to correct their performance Interrater Reliability: - ✔✔Consistency among the different individuals who evaluate the employees performance. Management by Objectives - ✔✔Management model that aims to improve performance of an organization by clearly defining objectives that are agreed to by both management and employees Similar to me rating error: - ✔✔Individuals who are similar to us in race, gender, background, interest, beliefs, etc. receive higher ratings than those who are not Contrast rating error: - ✔✔Ratings influenced by comparison between individuals instead of an objective standard Example: Employee receives lower than deserved rating because he/she is compared to outstanding peers Leniency rating error: - ✔✔Rater gives high ratings to all employees regardless of their performance Strictness rating error: - ✔✔Rater gives low ratings to all employees regardless of their performance Central tendency rating error: - ✔✔Rater gives middle or average ratings to all employees despite their performance Halo rating error: - ✔✔Rater gives employee high ratings on all aspects of performance because of their overall positivie impression of the employee Horns rating error: - ✔✔Rater gives employee low ratings on all aspects of performance because of an overall negative impression of the employee The employment-at-will doctrine: - ✔✔Has eroded significantly in recent years Two central components: documentation (which includes specific publication of work rules and job descriptions that should be in place prior to administering discipline) and progressive punitive measures Example of Punitive Measures: First Offense: Unofficial verbal warning Second Offense: Official written warning Third Offense: Second official warning, with threat of temporary suspension Fourth Offense: Temporary suspension and "last chance notification" Fifth Offense: Termination Alternative Dispute Resolution: - ✔✔Techniques that show promise in resolving disputes in a timely, constructive, cost-effective manner. Alternative dispute resolution can take on many different forms, but in general, ADR proceeds through the four stages Stages in Alternative Dispute Resolution: - ✔✔Stage 1: Open Door Policy: Two people in conflict attempt to arrive at a settlement together. If none can be reached, they proceed to Stage 2: Peer Review: A panel composed of representatives from the organization that are at the same level of those people in the dispute hears the case and attempts to help the parties arrive at a settlement. If non can be reached, they proceed to Stage 3: Mediation: A neutral third party from outside the organization hears the case and, via a nonbinding process, tries to help the disputants arrive at a settlement. If non can be reached, the parties proceed to Stage 4: Arbitration: A professional arbitrator from outside the organization hears the case and resolves it unilaterally by rendering a specific decision or award. Most arbitrators are experienced employment attorneys or retired judges. Employee Assistance Program (EAP): - ✔✔Referral service that supervisors or employees can use to seek professional treatment for various problems. EAPs vary widely, but most share some basic elements. First, the programs are usually identified in official documents published by the employer (such as employee handbooks). Supervisors (and union representatives, where relevant) are trained to use the referral service for employees whom they suspect of having health-related problems. Employees are also trained to use the system to make self-referrals when necessary. Outplacement Counseling: - ✔✔Which tries to help dismissed employees manage the transition from one job to another. There is a great deal of variability in the services offered via outplacement programs, typically including career counseling, job search support, résumé critiques, job interviewing training, and provision of networking opportunities Generally speaking, the contents of employees' e-mail and voice-mail messages on companies' systems are: - ✔✔Not private but protected communications. The Workers' Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act: - ✔✔Organizations with more than 100 employees give 60 days' notice before any closings or layoffs that will affect at least 50 full-time employees. Human Resource Professionals develop pay structures based on: - ✔✔Legal Requirements Market Forces Company Goals Equity Theory: - ✔✔Suggests that people evaluate the fairness of their situations by comparing them with those of other people Benchmarking: - ✔✔Procedure in which an organization compares its own practices against those of the competition Rate Ranges: - ✔✔Permits a company to recognize differences in employee performance, seniority, training, and so forth in setting individual pay Key Jobs: - ✔✔Have relatively stable content and—perhaps most important—are common to many organizations. Therefore, it is possible to obtain market pay survey data on them Nonkey Jobs: - ✔✔Have relatively stable content and—perhaps most important—are common to many organizations. Therefore, it is possible to obtain market pay survey data on them The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): - ✔✔Establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Minimum wage: 7.25 Pay Grade: - ✔✔A pay grade is a step within a compensation system that defines the amount of pay an employee will receive. The pay grade is generally defined by the level of the responsibilities performed within the job description of the position, the authority exercised by the position, and the length of time the employee has performed the job. Broad Banding: - ✔✔When an organization reduces the number of levels (pay grades) in its job structure by combining some of its pay grades Merit Pay: - ✔✔Annual pay increases are linked to performance appraisal ratings. Merit pay is most common for white-collar employees. The system gives the biggest pay increase to the best performers and to those whose pay is relatively low for their job. Merit pay increases ARE rolled into base pay. employee's own serious illness. Employees are guaranteed the same or a comparable job on their return to work. Employees with less than one year of service or who work under 25 hours per week or who are among the 10% highest paid are not covered. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs): - ✔✔Health care plan that provides benefits on a prepaid basis for employees who are required to use only HMO medical service providers. HMOs differ from more traditional providers by focusing on preventive care and outpatient treatment, requiring employees to use only HMO services, and providing benefits on a prepaid basis. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs): - ✔✔A group of health care providers who contract with employers, insurance companies, and so forth to provide health care at a reduced fee. Defined Benefit Plan: - ✔✔Guarantees a specified level of retirement income. Cafeteria-Style Plans: - ✔✔Benefit plans that permit employees to choose the types and amounts of benefits they want Pay-Or-Play Plans: - ✔✔To play differently is the middle ground between paying premiums ("play") and paying the penalties ("pay"). It means the company chooses not to offer a traditional group health insurance plan, pays any applicable penalties, and instead offers employees a health insurance allowance (called "Pure Defined Contribution") Flexible Spending Accounts: - ✔✔A Flexible Spending Account (also known as a flexible spending arrangement) is a special account you put money into that you use to pay for certain out-of-pocket health care costs. You don't pay taxes on this money. This means you'll save an amount equal to the taxes you would have paid on the money you set aside. Seniority System: - ✔✔The pay system most frequently used in a union setting. Closed Shops: - ✔✔Must be a due paying member of a union before you can be hired into the position. This is ILLEGAL Union Shops: - ✔✔Requires a person to join the union within a certain amount of time (30 days) after beginning employment Agency Shops: - ✔✔Similar to a union shop but does not require union membership, only that dues be paid Open Shop: - ✔✔Place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union (closed shop) as a condition of hiring or continued employment. Open shop is also known as a merit shop National Labor Relations Act (NLRA): - ✔✔Enacted in 1935. Protects the rights of employees and employers, encourages collective bargaining, and curtails certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy. Protected activities: Union organizing Joining a union, whether it is recognized by the employer or not Refraining from activity on behalf of the union At least 30 percent of employees in a bargaining unit must sign authorization cards for the NLRB to hold a union representation election. Job Description: - ✔✔List of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails. Parent Country: - ✔✔Country that serves as the home for the corporations headquarters. Host Country: - ✔✔Country that serves as a satellite location for a company who's headquarters are in another country. Expatriate: - ✔✔Citizen of a company's home country working abroad at one of the company's foreign subsidiaries. Exempt Employee: - ✔✔Certain types of employees, often classified as exempt employees, are not entitled to overtime pay as guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It is at the employer's discretion whether or not to pay for hours worked overtime. three main categories of exempt workers: Executive Professional Administrative Non-Exempt Employees: - ✔✔A non-exempt employee is entitled to overtime pay through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employers are required to pay time and a half the employee's regular rate of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a given pay week Shared Service Model: - ✔✔A way to organize the HR function that includes centers of expertise or excellence, service centers, and business partners.