1. Which of the following best defines human resources management?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Which of the following best defines human resources management?
• the use and coordination of human skills to ensure the profitability and survival of the

organization

• the design of the organization and its systems in order to achieve the goals of the

organization

• the supervision, monitoring, controlling, and disciplining of employees in order to achieve

organizational goals

• the policies, practices, and systems that influence how employees behave, feel, and

perform to attain organizational goals

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 3 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Which of the following is human resources (HR) management primarily a function of?
• non-governmental organizations
• organizations with any number of employees
• for-profit organizations with more than 100 employees
• businesses holding federal contracts over $50 000

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 3 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Conceptual

• Which form of management provides a system of policies and practices designed to influence

employee behaviour and functioning to support the goals of the company?

• personnel administration
• human resources management
• human capital management
• strategic management

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 3 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• How do global forces affect HR management?
• affected primarily in the international outsourcing of jobs
• affected in almost all of its functions
• unaffected by global forces
• affected primarily when the organization expands into foreign markets

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 3 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Conceptual

• Who is directly responsible for anticipating and responding to HR changes in the organization?
• specialists in HR strategic management
• HR development professionals
• HR management information systems professionals
• the CEO and board of directors of the organization

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 3 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

Chapter 1 (Human Resources Management, 2nd Canadian Edition 2e Robert Mathis ) (Test Bank all Chapters) 1 / 4

• HR management is responsible for providing enough qualified individuals to fill the jobs in the

organization. Through which of the following means does it do so?

• employment equity
• staffing
• performance management
• strategic HR management

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Diversity and employment equity are both tied to a larger aspect of human resources management.

Which of the following are they functions of?

• the position of the company as a forward-thinking employer
• the values of unionized workplaces as opposed to non-unionized workplaces
• HR management information systems
• compliance with equal employment opportunity laws and regulations

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Which aspect of HR management focuses on ensuring that the organization can fill jobs with

appropriately qualified individuals ?

• staffing
• strategic planning and analysis
• development
• diversity assessment and training

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Which of the following HR components identifies paths and activities for individual employees within

the organization?

• staffing
• career planning
• HR development
• performance management

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Which of the following activities are part of HR development?
• diversity assessment and analysis
• performance management
• environmental scanning
• wage and salary administration

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• Which of the following costs poses a major and growing concern to HR managers in almost all

organizations?

• equalization of pay between men and women
• benefits
• early retirement packages
• incentive pay

• / 4

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Conceptual

• For which of the following are employee assistance programs typically used?
• providing concierge service for employees
• outplacing laid-off employees
• advising employees in selection of benefit options
• helping employees with substance abuse problems

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Definitional

• The HR director of Tyrone Plastics is concerned about the increasing incidence of workplace violence

nationwide. Which of the following types of programs might she initiate in the company to address her concern?

• employee rights
• employee assistance
• monitoring
• security

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 5 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Application

• In which workplace settings must employee rights be specifically addressed?
• in union-free workplaces
• in all organizations
• in unionized organizations
• in government rather than private-sector workplaces

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 6 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Conceptual

• Henry, the production manager for a chemical plant, resents what he feels are unwarranted intrusions

into his territory by HR managers. He believes that relationships with his employees are strong and supportive, and that HR initiatives generally cause unnecessary trouble. What is off in Henry’s relationship with the HR managers?

• Henry would be surprised to learn that every manager, including him, is an HR manager.
• Henry is probably committing major violations of company policy and wants to keep this

secret from HR management.

• The HR function is a support function, and as Henry believes, it should not intrude on

day-to-day management functions.

• HR managers have the sole responsibility for properly implementing company policy

regarding employees—Henry has failed to recognize this.

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 6 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Application

• Which of the following is NOT a major HR concern of small businesses?
• potential unionization efforts
• increasing wage costs
• increasing benefits costs
• shortages of qualified workers

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 6 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Conceptual 3 / 4

• Matt has recently joined his family’s wholesale landscape nursery business as vice president of

operations. The firm employs 25 full-time employees and about 20 seasonal employees. In the past, Matt’s father handled all HR issues. Matt plans to bring the company in line with typical HR staffing levels. Which of the following options best reflects that?

• taking on all HR duties himself as VP of operations
• adding a clerical employee to help with HR tasks
• hiring a full-time HR professional
• delegating all HR tasks and issues to supervisors

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Challenging REF: 6 OBJ: 01-1 TOP: Application

• Which are the four key types of assets in an organization?
• physical, financial, tangible, and human
• physical, financial, intangible, and human
• physical, tangible, technological, and human
• tangible, technological, human, and knowledge

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: 7 OBJ: 01-2 TOP: Definitional

• Which of the following assets allow all the other assets of a university to be used to offer educational

services to its students?

• administrators, professors, and other employees
• libraries, laboratories, and technological learning facilities
• financial endowment and income
• unique operating processes, specialized research capabilities, and other intangible assets

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 7 OBJ: 01-2 TOP: Application

• Which of the following terms best encompasses the value of all the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life

experiences, and motivation that people contribute to a workforce?

• total human resources
• human assets
• organizational talent inventory
• human capital

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 7 OBJ: 01-2 TOP: Definitional

• Human resources and workforce-related expenditures can be viewed as a percentage of total company

expenditures. Which of the following statements outlines the trend in this regard in the last decade?

• Costs have remained stable.
• Costs have been declining rapidly.
• Costs have shown wide swings.
• Costs have been rising steeply.

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: 8 OBJ: 01-2 TOP: Conceptual

• The chief financial officer of McGill Tubing wants to know the contribution of McGill’s workforce

toward creating value for shareholders. Which calculation-based analysis would provide this information?

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