Study guide for HR Competencies

Question 1

Concept that argues that ethical behavior is determined by local culture, laws, and business practices

Answer 1

Cultural Relativism

Question 2

Tendency to enhance or diminish the strength or credibility of a statement or person based on one’s impression of a preceding statement or person.

Answer 2

Contrast Effect

Question 3

Raw data, internal and external to an organization, that is translated into meaningful information for decision makers to use in taking strategic action

Answer 3

Business Intelligence

Question 4

Quantifiable measures of performance that gauge an organization’s progress toward strategic objectives or other agreed-upon performance standards

Answer 4

Key Performance Indicators (KPIS)

Question 5

Concept that argues that there are fundamental ethical principles that apply across cultures

Answer 5

Ethical Universalism

Question 6

Average of data that adds factors to reflect the importance of different values

Answer 6

Weighted Average

Question 7

Data-sorting technique in which group members add related ideas and indicate logical connections, eventually grouping similar ideas.

Answer 7

Mind Mapping

Question 8

Type of measurement bias in which analyst allows one strong point that he or she values highly and that works in subject’s favor to overshadow all other information

Answer 8

Halo Effect

Question 9

Amount of owners’ or shareholders’ portion of a business

Answer 9

Equity

Question 10

Society in which relationships have less history; individuals know each other less well and don’t share a common database of experience, so communication must be very explicit

Answer 10

Low-context culture

Question 11

Ability to be sensitive to and understand one’s own and others’ emotions and impulses

Answer 11

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Question 12

Concept that proposes that any organization operates within a complex environment in which it affects and is affected by a variety of forces or stakeholders who all share in the value of the organization and its activities

Answer 12

Stakeholder Concept

Question 13

The basic belief and customs shared by members of an organization that contribute to the organization’s sense of its identity

Answer 13

Organizational Culture

Question 14

Type of measurement bias in which analyst fails to recognize that individual is responding with answers the analyst wants to hear.

Answer 14

Cultural Noise

Question 15

Conscious or unconscious beliefs that influence a person’s perceptions or actions, which may cause that person to become partial or prejudiced.

Answer 15

Bias

Question 16

Tool or document that defines a specific problem, proposes a solution, and provides justifications for the proposal in terms of time, cost efficiency, and probability of success.

Answer 16

Business Case

Question 17

Using relationships between data in financial statements to measure the financial health of an organization

Answer 17

Ratio Analysis

Question 18

The benefit created when an organization meets its strategic goals;measure of usefulness, worth, or importance

Answer 18

Value

Question 19

Value that occurs most frequently in a set of data

Answer 19

Mode

Question 20

Technique in which participants each suggest ideas through a series of rounds and then discuss the items, eliminate redundancies and irrelevancies, and agree on the importance of the remaining items

Answer 20

Nominal group technique

Question 21

Ratio of gross profit to net sales

Answer 21

Gross profit margin

Question 22

Organization’s debts and other financial obligations

Answer 22

liabilities

Question 23

The process by which an organization creates the product or service it offers to the customer

Answer 23

Value chain

Question 24

Extent to which a measurement instrument provides consistent results

Answer 24

Reliability

Question 25

Technique that progressively collects information from a group without physically assembling the contributors

Answer 25

Delphi Technique

Question 26

Statement of an organization's ability to meet its current and short-term obligations, showing incoming and outgoing cash and cash reserves in operations, investments, and financing

Answer 26

Cash Flow Statement

Question 27

Situation in which a person or organization may potentially benefit, directly or indirectly, from undue influence, due to involvement in outside activities, relationships, or investments that conflict with or have an impact on the employment relationship or its outcomes

Answer 27

Conflict of interest

Question 28

Concept that stipulates that no individual is beyond the reach of the law and that authority is exercised only in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws

Answer 28

Rule of law

Question 29

Capacity to recognize, interpret, and behaviorally adapt to multicultural situations and contexts; also called cultural intelligence

Answer 29

Intercultural wisdom

Question 30

Ratio of net income (gross sales - expenses and tax) to net sales

Answer 30

Net profit margin

Question 31

System of actions that leaders take to drive an organization towards its goals and objectives

Answer 31

Strategic management

Question 32

Generalized opinions about how people of a given gender, race, religion, age, education level, job type, or national origin look, think, act, feel, or respond

Answer 32

Stereotyping

Question 33

Leadership style that focuses on challenging and developing members of an organization to attain long-range results through continuous evolution, improvement, or change, based on the leader's vision and strategy

Answer 33

Transformational leadership

Question 34

Right of a legal body to exert authority over a given geographical territory, subject matter, or persons or instituions

Answer 34

Jurisdiction

Question 35

Financial, physical, and sometimes intangible properties an organization owns

Answer 35

Assets

Question 36

Money an organization's customers owe the organization

Answer 36

Accounts Receivable

Question 37

Process of setting goals and designing a path toward organizational success

Answer 37

Strategic planning

Question 38

Concept that laws are enforced only through accepted, codified procedures

Answer 38

Due process

Question 39

Statistical method used to test the possible effects of altering the details of a strategy to see if the likely outcome can be improved

Answer 39

Scenario/what-if analysis

Question 40

Process of charting a course through cultural differences

Answer 40

Dilemma reconciliation

Question 41

Extent to which an organization's agreements, dealings, information, practices, and transactions are open to disclosure and review by relevant persons

Answer 41

Transparency

Question 42

Type of measurement bias in which analyst allows one strong point that he or she values highly and that works against subject to overshadow all other information

Answer 42

horn effect

Question 43

Legal system based on written codes (laws, rules, or regulations)

Answer 43

Civil law

Question 44

Type of analysis that starts with a result and then works backward to identify fundamental cause

Answer 44

Root-cause analysis

Question 45

Basic beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and customs shared and followed by members of a group, which give rise to the group's sense of identity

Answer 45

Culture

Question 46

Ability to create connections or rapport with others

Answer 46

Social intelligence

Question 47

Exchange of anything of value to gain greater influence preference

Answer 47

Bribery

Question 48

Extent to which a measurement instrument measures what it is intended to measure

Answer 48

Validity

Question 49

Money an organization owes its vendors and suppliers

Answer 49

Accounts Payable

Question 50

Type of measurement bias that involves weighting a small negative reaction or piece of information more than it should objectively merit.

Answer 50

Negative emphasis

Question 51

Statistical method that examines data from different points in time to determine if a variance is an isolated event or if it is part of a longer trend.

Answer 51

Trend analysis

Question 52

Plan of action for accomplishing an organization's overall and long-range goals

Answer 52

Strategy

Question 53

Factors that initiate, direct, and sustain human behavior over time

Answer 53

Motivation

Question 54

Statements that reports revenues, expenses, and profits for a specified period of time, for example, quarterly or annually

Answer 54

Income statement

Question 55

Process of developing mutually beneficial contacts through the exchange of information

Answer 55

Networking

Question 56

Leadership style that focuses on challenging and developing members of an organization to attain long-range results through continuous evolution, improvement, or change, based on the leader's vision and strategy

Answer 56

Authentic leadership

Question 57

Middle number in a range of values

Answer 57

Median

Question 58

Process by which two or more parties work together to reach agreement on a matter

Answer 58

Negotiation

Question 59

Raw average of data that gives equal weight to all values, with no regard for others factors

Answer 59

Unweighted average

Question 60

Type of measurement bias in which investigator makes snap judgments and lets first impression (either positive or negative) cloud subsequent evaluation

Answer 60

First-impression error

Question 61

Extension of the power of a country's laws over its citizens outside that country's sovereign national boundaries

Answer 61

Extraterritoriality

Question 62

Average score or value

Answer 62

Mean

Question 63

small group invited persons (typically six to twelve) who actively participate in a structured discussion, led by a facilitator, for the purpose of eliciting their input on a specific product, process, policy, or program.

Answer 63

Focus group

Question 64

Statistical method for identifying the degree of difference between planned and actual performance or outcomes

Answer 64

Variance analysis

Question 65

Statement of an organization's financial position at a specific point in time, showing assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity

Answer 65

Balance sheet

Question 66

Statistical method used to determine whether a relationship exists between variables and the strength of the relationship

Answer 66

Regression analysis

Question 67

Society or group characterized by complex, usually long-standing networks of relationships; members share rich history of common experience, so the way they interact and interpret events is often not apparent to outsiders

Answer 67

High-context culture

Question 68

Requirement to thoroughly investigate an action before it is taken, through diligent research and evaluation

Answer 68

Due diligence

Question 69

Legal system in which each case is considered in terms of how it relates to legal decisions that have already been made; evolves through judicial decisions over time

Answer 69

Common law

Question 70

Data-sorting technique in which a group categorizes and subcategorizes data until relationships are clearly drawn

Answer 70

Affinity diagramming

Question 71

Ability to have an international perspective, inclusive of other cultures' views

Answer 71

Global mindset