Assessment Test

An employee has come forward with an allegation of quid pro quo harassment
1. by her supervisor. As the HR manager, you are responsible for investigating the
charges. The supervisor in question is someone with whom you have become
quite friendly. In this case, the best person to conduct the investigation is
A. You.
B. The corporate attorney.
C. The direct manager of the accused supervisor.
D. A third party investigator.
The motivation theory that suggests people are motivated by the reward they
2. will receive when they succeed and that they weigh the value of the expected
reward against the effort required to achieve it is known as:
A. Vrooms Expectancy Theory
B. Adams Equity Theory
C. McClellands Acquired Needs Theory
D. McGregors Theory X and Theory Y
Which of the following is an example of a passive training method?
3.
A. Vestibule training
B. Demonstration
C. Distance learning
D. Self-study
One purpose of a diversity initiative is to:
4.
A. Increase workplace creativity
B. Increase the effectiveness of the workforce
C. Increase the organizations ability to attract customers
D. All of the above
The concept that recognized businesses as social organizations as well as
5. economic systems and recognized that productivity was related to employee
job satisfaction is known as:
A. Human resource management

B. Strategic management
C. Human relations
D. Human resource development
Before selecting an HRIS system, which of the following questions should be
6. answered?
A. What information will be converted to the HRIS?
B. Who will have access to the information stored in the HRIS?
C. How will the HRIS be accessed?
D. All of the above.
The correlation coefficient is a statistical measurement that is useful for:
7.
A. Determining whether or not one variable affects another
B. Compensating for data that may be out of date
C. Determining which variables are outside acceptable ranges
D. Describing standards of quality
The process of identifying risks and taking steps to minimize them is referred
8. to as:
A. Liability management
B. Risk management
C. Qualitative analysis
D. Risk assessment
Examples of workplace ethics issues include:
9.
A. Workplace privacy
B. Conflicts of interest
C. Whistle-blowing
D. All of the above
Which of the following points is important to effective lobbying, that is,
10. attempting to influence or persuade an elected official to pass, defeat, or
modify a piece of legislation?
A. Learn how the legislative and political process works.
B. Begin by using persuasion to convince the elected official to accept

your position.
C. Make big financial contributions.
D. Let the elected official choose a solution rather than present a proposal
solution.
An HR audit is designed to help management
11.
A. Improve employee morale.
B. Analyze HR policies, programs, and procedures against applicable legal
requirements.
C. Improve HR effectiveness.
D. All of the above.
Which of the following is a productivity type of statistical HR measurement?
12.
A. Turnover and retention
B. Cost per hire
C. Revenue per employee
D. Job satisfaction
A statement of cash flows is a financial report that tells you:
13.
A. The financial condition of the business at a specific point in time
B. Where the money used to operate the business came from
C. The financial results of operations over a period of time
D. How much money is owed to the company by its customers
Which of the following activities is not a responsibility of the operations
14. function of a business?
A. Designing the product
B. Scheduling production runs to coincide with customer demand
C. Ensuring that products or services meet quality standards
D. Determining what new products will be produced
A PEST analysis is used during the strategic planning process. PEST is an
15. acronym for:
A. Political, environmental, strengths, threats
B. Political, economic, specific, timely

C. Political, economic, social, technology

D. Product, environment, social, technology
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Delphi technique?
16.
A. It is a quantitative tool used to build consensus.
B. It is a structured meeting format.
C. The participants never meet.
D. It requires a facilitator to guide the process.
Which of the following alternative staffing methods would be most appropriate
17. for a company with ongoing yet sporadic needs for a specific job to be done?
A. Intern program
B. On-call worker
C. Seasonal worker
D. Temp worker
A standard employment practice that seems to be fair yet results in
18. discrimination against a protected class is a description of:
A. Disparate treatment
B. Disparate impact
C. Adverse impact
D. Unfair treatment
Measuring staffing needs against sales volume could be done most effectively
19. by using which of the following techniques?
A. A multiple linear regression
B. A ratio
C. A simulation model
D. A simple linear regression
When an interviewer is aware that a candidate scored particularly high on an
20. assessment test, this bias is known as the:
A. Halo effect
B. Knowledge-of-predictor effect
C. Cultural noise effect

D. Stereotyping effect
According to the WARN Act, an employer with 200 employees is required to
21. provide 60 days notice of a mass layoff when:
A. The employer is seeking additional funding and will lay off 70
employees if the funding falls through.
B. A major client unexpectedly selects a new vendor for the companys
products and the company lays off 75 employees.
C. The employer lays off 5 employees a week for 3 months.
D. A flood requires that one of the plants be shut down for repairs and 55
employee are laid off.
The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRA) requires
22. that
A. All contractors list all job openings with state employment agencies.
B. All employers list all job openings with state employment agencies.
C. State employment agencies give preference to Vietnam veterans for
senior-level management position referrals.
D. State employment agencies give preference to Vietnam veterans for
positions lasting 3 days or longer.
A high involvement organization is an example of what type of OD
23. intervention?
A. human process
B. human resource management
C. techno-structural
D. strategic
The ______________________ seating arrangement is best for case
24. discussions where everyone can observe each other and a trainer.
A. theater style
B. U-shaped style
C. classroom style
D. banquet style
According to the Copyright Act of 1976, which of the following is most likely
25. to be considered a fair use of copyrighted material?

A. Distributing 30 copies of a chapter in a book to a study group

B. Copying a book for 10 staff members of a non-profit organization
C. Distributing 30 copies of a paragraph in a book to a study group
D. None of the above
A process for reducing the impact of bias during performance reviews by using
26. multiple raters is known as:
A. Inter-rater reliability
B. An MBO review
C. A rating scale
D. Paired comparison
To increase the chances for successful repatriation of employees, the process
27. should include:
A. Development of a qualified pool of candidates for global assignments
B. A formal repatriation program that includes career counseling
C. Setting expectations for repatriation before employees begin global
assignments
D. All of the above
Total quality management focuses all employees on producing products that
28. meet customer needs. This is done by:
A. Eliminating processes that waste time and materials
B. Developing a high level of expertise in all employees
C. Sharing information with all levels in the organization
D. Balancing the needs of all stakeholders in the organization
Which of the following is an example of a strategic OD intervention?
29.
A. Leadership development
B. Total quality management
C. A learning organization
D. Teambuilding activities
The most effective method of performance evaluation is
30.
A. A field review process

B. A continuous feedback process

C. A forced ranking process
D. A behaviorally anchored rating scale process
An employee earning $12,500 per year supervises three employees and spends
31. 35 hours per week on essential job duties that require discretion and
independent judgment. Is this employee:
A. Exempt, based on the short executive exemption test.
B. Exempt, based on the short administrative exemption test.
C. Nonexempt, based on the short executive exemption test.
D. Nonexempt, based on the short administrative exemption test.
As of September 1, 1997, the federal minimum wage is set at:
32.
A. $5.15 per hour
B. $7.16 per hour
C. $5.75 per hour
D. $6.75 per hour
The FLSA requires employers to pay nonexempt employees for time spent:
33.
A. At home while waiting to be called to work
B. At work reading a book while waiting for an assignment
C. Attending a voluntary training program
D. Commuting to work
Which of the following would be considered an extrinsic reward?
34.
A. Challenging work on a new project
B. A 10 percent salary increase
C. A feeling of accomplishment after completing a tough assignment
D. Recognition by the CEO at a company meeting
An example of a nonqualified deferred compensation plan is
35.
A. An excess deferral plan
B. A target benefit plan
C. A money purchase plan

D. A cash balance plan

The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
36.
A. Requires pension plans to account for employee contributions
separately from employer contributions.
B. Allows employers to contribute a percentage of company earnings to
retirement plans each year.
C. Allows employees over 50 years old to make catch up contributions to
retirement accounts.
D. Requires employer pension contributions to be funded on a quarterly
basis.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
37.
A. Prevents HR from investigating claims issues
B. Requires continuation of health benefits
C. Established EPO networks
D. Limited preexisting condition restrictions
A target benefit plan
38.
A. Uses actuarial formulas to calculate individual pension contribution
amounts.
B. Requires an actual deferral percentage test to be performed each year.
C. Provides a means for employees to become owners of the company.
D. Uses a fixed percentage of employee earnings to defer compensation.
Thanks for such a great presentation! Youll always have a job with us. This
39. is an example of
A. The duty of good faith and fair dealing.
B. An express contract.
C. An implied contract.
D. Fraudulent misrepresentation.
A lockout occurs when
40.
A. The employees shut down operations by refusing to work.
B. The employer refuses to allow the union to unionize the workplace.

C. The employer shuts down operations to keep employees from working.

D. The employees patrol the entrance to the business.
Which one of the following statements is true of a hostile work environment?
41.
A. When a single incident of unwanted touching occurs a hostile work
environment has been created.
B. A hostile work environment may be created when an individual
witnesses the ongoing harassment of a coworker.
C. A hostile work environment can only be created by a supervisor.
D. A grievance procedure and policy against discrimination protect
employers from hostile work environment claims.
An effective progressive disciplinary process begins with
42.
A. A written warning.
B. A verbal warning.
C. A suspension.
D. Coaching or counseling.
During the union organizing process, the bargaining unit is determined
43.
A. By the union organizers.
B. Jointly, by the union and the employer.
C. By the National Labor Relations Board.
D. By the employees during the election.
The Excelsior list is
44.
A. A list of all employees in the bargaining unit provided by the employer
to the union within 7 days of the scheduling of an election by the
NLRB.
B. A list of the employees who do not want the union to represent them.
C. A list of the employees who have signed authorization cards for the
union.
D. A list of all employees in the bargaining unit provided by the union to
the employer within 7 days of the scheduling of an election by the
NLRB.
When an employer wants to obtain insight into employee goals and job
45. satisfaction and provide career counseling to those in the work group, the most
effective method to utilize would be

A. An employee survey.
B. A skip-level interview.
C. An employee focus group.
D. A brown-bag lunch.
Health and wellness programs are beneficial for employers because they:
46.
A. Increase productivity, reduce medical costs, and attract top-quality job
candidates
B. Provide nutrition counseling, exercise programs, and health education
programs
C. Require employees to lose weight, stop smoking, and avoid substance
abuse
D. Provide on-site opportunities for physical fitness
Which of the following statements is not true about substance abuse policies?
47.
A. Substance abuse policies identify who will be tested.
B. Federal law requires all employers to implement substance abuse
policies.
C. An effective policy describes when tests will occur and what drugs will
be tested.
D. An effective policy describes what happens to employees who test
positive.
According to the OSHA inspection priorities, which type of workplace hazard
48. receives first priority for an inspection?
A. Catastrophes and Fatal Accidents
B. Programmed High-Hazard Inspections
C. Imminent Danger
D. Employee Complaints
When workplace conditions pose a threat to an unborn child, the company
49. must:
A. Do nothing. It is up to employees to protect their unborn children.
B. Move the employee into a different job that does not pose a threat to the
unborn child.
C. Advise the employee of the potential threat and allow the employee to

make the decision.

D. Allow only sterile employees to work in jobs that pose a threat to
unborn children.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 grants employees the right to
50. do all of the following except:
A. Be advised of potential safety hazards.
B. Speak privately to an OSHA inspector during an inspection.
C. Observe the employer when measuring and monitoring workplace
hazards.
D. View detailed reports of all workplace accidents.
Which of the following activities does not contribute to ergonomic injuries?
51.
A. Awkward postures
B. Extended vibrations
C. Falling down stairs
D. Contact stress
The OSHA consulting service
52.
A. Helps employers identify the OSHA standards that apply to their
workplace.
B. Fines employers for violating OSHA safety standards.
C. Does not require compliance with OSHA standards.
D. Is a one-time service.
Answers
1. D. In this case, the organization will be best served by a third-party investigator. The
most important consideration in an investigation of sexual harassment is that the
investigator is seen as credible and impartial. See Chapter 2 for more information.
2. A. Vroom explains his theory with three terms: expectancy, the individuals
assessment of their ability to achieve the goal; instrumentality, whether or not the
individual believes they are capable of achieving the goal; and valence, whether or
not the anticipated goal is worth the effort required to achieve it. See Chapter 2 for
more information.
3. C. Distance learning is similar to a lecture in that a presenter provides information to

a group of participants but does not require active participation. See Chapter 2 for
more information.
4. B. The purpose of a diversity initiative is to increase the effectiveness of an already
diverse workforce by educating the employee population about the benefits of a
diverse workforce, which include increased creativity and an enhanced ability to
attract customers. See Chapter 2 for more information.
5. C. The concept of human relations was first introduced in the 1920s and challenged
previous assumptions that people work only for economic reasons and could be
motivated to increase productivity simply by increasing monetary incentives. See
Chapter 2 for more information.
6. D. A needs analysis will provide answers to these questions as well as whether or not
the HRIS will be integrated with payroll or other systems and what kinds of reports
will be produced. See Chapter 2 for more information.
7. A. The correlation coefficient is useful in determining whether or not two factors are
connected. For example, the correlation coefficient will tell you whether an increase
in resignations is related to a change in location of the worksite, and if so, whether the
change had a strong impact on resignations. See Chapter 2 for more information.
8. B. Risk management identifies areas of possible legal exposure for the organization
and reduces those risks with preventive actions. A risk assessment is used to
determine how likely it is that an emergency will occur. See Chapter 2 for more
information.
9. D. Workplace privacy, conflicts of interest, and whistle-blowing are all examples of
workplace ethics issues. Ethics are considered a standard of conduct and moral
judgment defined by the processes that occur and the consequences of these
processes. See Chapter 3 for more information.
10. A. To be effective, most experts agree that it is best to first do your homework, that is,
learn how the legislative and political process works. In this way, you can participate
effectively in the process. See Chapter 3 for more information.
11. D. An HR audit is an organized process designed to identify key aspects of HR in the
organization such as employee morale, HR policies, programs, and procedures, and
HR effectiveness. See Chapter 3 for more information.
12. C. There are three types of statistical HR measurements: employee measures, such as
turnover/retention and job satisfaction; productivity measures, such as revenue per
employee and OSHA incident rates; and HR activities measures, such as cost per hire
and ratio of total employees to HR staff. See Chapter 3 for more information.

13. B. A statement of cash flows provides information about the money that flowed
through the business. It identifies whether the cash was received from customers,
loans, or other sources, how much cash was spent to operate the business, and how
much was reinvested in the business. See Chapter 3 for more information.
14. D. Marketing is responsible for determining what new products will be produced
based on market research designed to find out what products customers are willing to
purchase. See Chapter 3 for more information.
15. C. A PEST analysis is used to scan the political, economic, social, and technological
conditions in the external environment to determine what impact those conditions will
have on the success of the organization. See Chapter 3 for more information.
16. C. The Delphi technique is a qualitative tool for building consensus using a
consecutive round of questions that are collated and distributed for review in
subsequent rounds. Participants in the process never meet, so this is an advantageous
method to use when participants are geographically separated. See Chapter 4 for more
information.
17. B. An on-call worker is the best solution for situation in which the employer needs the
same job to be done on a sKelly_82074s. This allows the employer to rely on the
same person to do the job, reducing training requirements. An intern program would
not be appropriate because it is a short-term training solution. Seasonal workers are
generally only required at specific times of the year. Temp workers provided by
agencies may not be available when needed because they may be on other
assignments. See Chapter 4 for more information.
18. B. Disparate impact occurs when an employment practice that seems to be fair
unintentionally discriminates against members of a protected class. See Chapter 4 for
more information.
19. D. A simple linear regression measures one variable against another. See Chapter 4
for more information.
20. B. The knowledge-of-predictor effect occurs when an interviewer is aware that a
candidate has scored particularly high or low on an assessment test and allows this to
affect the hiring decision. The halo effect occurs when the interviewer allows a single
positive characteristic of the candidate to overshadow other considerations. Cultural
noise occurs when a candidate gives answers they think the interviewer wants to hear.
Stereotyping occurs when the interviewer makes assumptions about a candidate based
on generalizations about the group the candidate belongs to (for example, women).
See Chapter 4 for more information.
21. C. The WARN Act requires employers to provide 60 days notice when 500
employees or 33 percent of the workforce are laid off, and it requires the number be

counted over a period of 90 days. Five employees a week for 3 months is a total of 65
employees (5 employees times 13 weeks) which is 33 percent of the workforce. The
three exceptions are the faltering company exception, when knowledge of a layoff
will negatively impact the companys ability to obtain additional funding, the
unforeseeable business circumstance, when unexpected circumstances occur, and
the natural disaster exception. See Chapter 4 for more information.
22. D. VEVRA applies to government contractors and requires that all job openings be
listed with state employment agencies except those that will be filled from within, are
for senior-level management positions, or will last less than 3 days. See Chapter 4 for
more information.
23. C. Techno-structural interventions address issues of how work gets done in an
organization. A high involvement organization is one in which employees at all levels
are involved in making decisions about how work is accomplished. For more
information, see Chapter 5.
24. B. Theater style is best for lectures, films, and so on, while classroom style is best for
listening to presentations. Banquet style is best for small group discussions, and Ushaped style is best for case discussions where everyone can observe each other and a
trainer. For more information, see Chapter 5.
25. C. Four factors are considered in determining whether or not use of published
material is a fair use: the purpose of the use, the nature of the work being copied, how
much of the work is copied, and what economic effect copying the material will have
on the market value of the work. For more information, see Chapter 5.
26. A. Inter-rater reliability seeks to reduce bias by having multiple reviewers rate an
individuals performance and averaging the ratings. For more information, see
Chapter 5.
27. D. Organizations that are able to successfully repatriate employees after global
assignments do so by carefully selecting candidates for global assignments, setting
appropriate expectations before the assignment begins, and establishing a formal
program to assist employees in reintegrating into the home office after a global
assignment. See Chapter 5 for more information.
28. A. The TQM concept reviews processes to eliminate waste, relies on teamwork, and
involves all members of the organization in meeting customer needs. See Chapter 5
for more information.
29. C. Learning organizations and knowledge management are examples of strategic OD
interventions; TQM is an example of a techno-structural intervention; leadership
development and teambuilding activities are examples of human process
interventions. See Chapter 5 for more information.

30. B. A continuous feedback review process is most effective because it provides

immediate feedback to employees, enabling them to correct performance issues
before they become major problems. See Chapter 5 for more information.
31. C. To be exempt based on a short exemption test, an employee must earn at least
$13,000 per year ($250 per week x 52 weeks = $13,000). See Chapter 6 for more
information.
32. A. The federal minimum wage was raised to $5.15 per hour on September 1, 1997.
See Chapter 6 for more information.
33. B. A nonexempt employee who is waiting for an assignment while at work must be
paid for the time spent waiting. See Chapter 6 for more information.
34. D. Extrinsic rewards are nonmonetary rewards from which self-esteem comes from
others, such as formal recognition for a job well done. See Chapter 6 for more
information.
35. A. An excess deferral plan makes up the difference between what an executive could
have contributed to a qualified plan if there had not been a limit on contributions and
how much was actually contributed because of the discrimination test required by
ERISA. These plans are nonqualified because they are not protected by ERISA; they
are limited to a small group of executives or highly compensated employees. See
Chapter 6 for more information.
36. C. EGTRRA made changes to pension contribution limits and allows employees over
50 to make catch-up pension contributions. See Chapter 6 for more information.
37. D. HIPAA prohibits health insurance providers from discriminating on the basis of
health status and limited restrictions for preexisting conditions. See Chapter 6 for
more information.
38. A. A target benefit plan is a hybrid plan that has similarities to defined benefit pension
plans and money purchase plans. These plans use actuarial formulas to calculate
individual pension contribution amounts. See Chapter 6 for more information.
39. B. An express contract can be oral or written and states what the parties to the
contract agree to do. The duty of good faith and fair dealing is a common law doctrine
that parties to an oral or written contract have an obligation to act in a fair and honest
manner to facilitate achievement of the contract goals. An implied contract can be
created by conduct and doesnt have to be stated explicitly. Fraudulent
misrepresentation occurs when an employer makes false statements to entice a
candidate to join the company. See Chapter 7 for more information.
40. C. A lockout is an action taken by the employer to stop employees from working. A

strike occurs when employees refuse to work. An employer that refuses to allow the
union to conduct an organizing campaign is committing an unfair labor practice.
Picketing occurs when employees patrol the entrance to the business. See Chapter 7
for more information.
41. B. A coworker who witnesses the ongoing harassment of another individual may have
an actionable claim of a hostile work environment. A single incident of unwanted
touching, unless it is particularly offensive or intimidating, will not reach the
threshold of a hostile work environment established by the courts. A hostile work
environment may be created by any individuals in the workplace, including
customers, vendors, or visitors, in addition to supervisors or coworkers. In the case of
Meritor Savings Bank v Vinson, the Supreme Court held that the mere existence of a
grievance procedure and anti-harassment policy does not necessarily protect an
employer from hostile work environment claims. See Chapter 7 for more information.
42. D. An effective progressive discipline process begins with coaching or counseling,
acknowledging good performance, and providing guidance on performance that needs
to be changed. Providing ongoing feedback, both positive and negative, reduces the
stress level for both employees and supervisors when serious performance issues arise
and must be addressed. See Chapter 7 for more information.
43. C. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determines which jobs will be
included in the bargaining unit based on the community of interest shared by the
requirements of the jobs. See Chapter 7 for more information.
44. A. Once an election has been scheduled, the employer must provide a list, known as
an Excelsior list, containing the names and address of all employees in the bargaining
unit determined by the NLRB. See Chapter 7 for more information.
45. B. A skip-level interview provides an opportunity for a managers manager to obtain
insight into the goals and satisfaction of employees in the work group. An employee
survey is best used to gather information on various issues that can be collated and
summarized. A focus group can be utilized to involve employees in the decision
making process. A brown bag lunch is an effective way for senior managers to meet
with small groups of employees to answer questions about the company goals and
mission and to obtain feedback about operations. See Chapter 7 for more information.
46. A. Employers look for benefit programs that add value to the bottom line. Health and
wellness programs do this by increasing productivity and reducing costs. These
programs are attractive to job candidates and enhance recruiting efforts. For more
information, see Chapter 8.
47. B. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires only federal contractors and
subcontractors to establish substance abuse policies. A fair and effective policy will
describe which employees will be tested, whether it is all or specific job groups. The

policy should describe when tests will be done (pre-employment, randomly, upon
reasonable suspicion, or according to a predetermined schedule), what drugs are
included in the process, and the consequences for employees who test positive. For
more information, see Chapter 8.
48. C. First priority for OSHA inspections are those that will prevent injury or illness. An
Imminent Danger hazard is one that has a reasonable certainty of death or serious
injury occurring before normal enforcement procedures can occur. For more
information, see Chapter 8.
49. C. The Supreme Court determined in Automobile Workers v Johnson Controls, Inc.
that it is the responsibility of prospective parents to protect their unborn children.
While employers must provide information about potential hazards, the employer
may not decide for the employee whether or not to work in a job that poses a risk to
an unborn child. For more information, see Chapter 8.
50. D. Employees have the right to review accident reports without information that
identifies the employees involved in the accident. For more information, see Chapter
8.
51. C. Ergonomic injuries are caused by repeated stress to a part of the body. A fall down
the stairs is a single occurrence and therefore not an ergonomic injury. For more
information, see Chapter 8.
52. A. OSHA consultants provide free services to assist employers in identifying
workplace hazards and the standards that apply in their workplaces. The consulting
service requires employers to abate any hazards that are identified during the
consultation, but does not fine them for violations. To receive a free consultation,
employers must agree to advise OSHA of changes in operating processes that may
require additional consultations. For more information, see Chapter 8.