HRM Chapters 1

Question 1

What is Scientific Management?

Answer 1

The process of “scientifically” analyzing manufacturing processes, reducing production costs, and compensating employees based on their performance levels.

Question 2

What is the human resources movement?

Answer 2

The human resources movement is a management philosophy focusing on concern for people and productivity.

Question 3

What is outsourcing?

Answer 3

Outsourcing is the practice of contracting with outside vendors to handle specified business functions on a permanent basis.

Question 4

What is authority?

Answer 4

The right to make decisions, direct other’s work, and give orders.

Question 5

What is line authority?

Answer 5

The authority exerted by an HR manager by directing the activities of the people in his or her own business unit, department, or service area.

Question 6

What is staff authority?

Answer 6

Staff authority gives the manager the right (authority) to advise other managers or employees.

Question 7

What is a line manager?

Answer 7

A line manager is a manager who is authorized to direct the work of subordinates and is responsible for accomplishing the organization’s tasks.

Question 8

What is a staff manager?

Answer 8

A staff manager is a manager who assists and advises line managers.

Question 9

What is employee engagement?

Answer 9

Employee engagement is the emotional and intellectual involvement of employees in their work, such as intensity, focus, and involved in his or her job and organization.

Question 10

What is strategy?

Answer 10

Strategy is the company’s plan for how it will balance its internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats to maintain a competitive advantage.

Question 11

What are change agents?

Answer 11

Specialists who lead the organization and its employees through organization change.

Question 12

What is environmental scanning?

Answer 12

The process of identifying and analyzing external opportunities and threats that may be crucial to the organization’s success.

Question 13

What is evidence-based HRM?

Answer 13

The use of data, facts, analytics, scientific rigor, critical evaluation, and critically evaluated research/case studies to support human resource management proposals, decisions, practices, and conclusions.

Question 14

What are metrics?

Answer 14

Metrics are statistics used to measure activities and results.

Question 15

What is the balanced scorecard?

Answer 15

A measurement system that translates an organization’s strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures.

Question 16

What is certification?

Answer 16

The recognition for having met certain professional standards.

Question 17

What is social responsibility?

Answer 17

Social responsibility is the implied, enforced, or felt obligation of managers, acting in their official capacities, to serve or protect the interests of groups other than themselves.

Question 18

What is productivity?

Answer 18

The ratio of an organization’s outputs (goods and services) to its inputs (people, capital, energy and materials).

Question 19

What is the primary sector?

Answer 19

Jobs in agriculture, fishing, trapping, forestry, and mining

Question 20

What is the secondary sector?

Answer 20

Jobs in the manufacturing and construction.

Question 21

What is the tertiary or service sector?

Answer 21

The tertiary or service sector are jobs in public administration, personal and business services, finance, trade, public utilities, and transportation/communications.

Question 22

What are contingent/non-standard workers?

Answer 22

These are workers who do not have regular full-time employment status.

Question 23

What is globalization?

Answer 23

The emergence of a single global market for most products and services.

Question 24

What is organizational culture?

Answer 24

The core values, beliefs, and assumptions that are widely shared by members of an organization.

Question 25

What is organizational climate?

Answer 25

Organizational climate is the prevailing atmosphere that exists in an organization and its impact on employees.

Question 26

What is empowerment?

Answer 26

Empowerment is providing workers with the skills and authority to make decisions that would traditionally be made by managers.