Human Resource Management MCQ – Change your future

901. "Increasing a person's accountability for work by reducing external control" refers to

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Job enrichment.

Exam Relevance: HRM exams, Organizational Behavior exams, Management exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Job enrichment involves increasing the depth and responsibility of a job, often by reducing external control and increasing accountability.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse job enrichment with job enlargement, which involves increasing the number of tasks without necessarily increasing responsibility.

Explanations: Job enrichment focuses on enhancing the quality of work by increasing the level of responsibility and accountability. This approach reduces the need for external control, as employees are given more autonomy and are held more accountable for their work outcomes. This aligns with the concept of increasing accountability while reducing external control.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Job enrichment increases accountability and reduces external control.
Option B: Incorrect. Job enlargement increases the number of tasks but does not necessarily increase accountability.
Option C: Incorrect. Job simplification reduces the complexity of tasks, which is opposite to the concept of increasing accountability.
Option D: Incorrect. Job rotation involves moving employees between different tasks, which does not directly relate to increasing accountability.

Mnemonic: REACH: Responsibility, Enrichment, Accountability, Control, Hold

902. Consider the following Statements: A performance appraisal is based on the assumption that an employee understood what his or her performance standards were prior to the appraisal. A reward can be defined as something that increases the frequency of an employee action. Role in presentations to top management is an example of non-financial reward. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Only 1, 2, 3.

Exam Relevance: HRM exams, Management exams, Organizational Behavior exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: The statements provided are related to performance appraisal and rewards in human resource management. Each statement must be evaluated for its accuracy.

Common Mistakes: Students may incorrectly assume that non-financial rewards are not as effective as financial rewards, leading to confusion about the third statement.

Explanations: Statement 1 is true because a performance appraisal assumes that the employee was aware of their performance standards beforehand. Statement 2 is true as a reward is defined as something that increases the frequency of an employee action. Statement 3 is true because role in presentations to top management is indeed a form of non-financial reward. Therefore, all three statements are true, making option C the correct answer.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect because it omits the third statement.
Option B: Incorrect because it omits the first statement.
Option C: Correct because it includes all three true statements.
Option D: Incorrect because it omits the second statement.

903. Which of the following factors are not part of internal environmental factors?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) Only (A) & (B).

Exam Relevance: MBA, Management, Organizational Behavior

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Internal environmental factors refer to elements within an organization that influence its operations and decision-making. These include organizational culture, conflict, and other internal dynamics.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse internal environmental factors with external environmental factors, which include economic and socio-cultural influences.

Explanations: Internal environmental factors are those that exist within an organization and affect its internal operations. Economic and socio-cultural factors are external to the organization and thus do not qualify as internal environmental factors. Organizational culture and conflict are internal to the organization and therefore are considered internal environmental factors.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Economic factors are external to the organization and thus not part of internal environmental factors.
Option B: Socio-cultural factors are also external to the organization and thus not part of internal environmental factors.
Option C: Organizational culture and conflict are internal to the organization and are part of internal environmental factors.
Option D: This option correctly identifies that only economic and socio-cultural factors are not part of internal environmental factors.

904. An attempt to decrease the subjectivity of forecasts by soliciting and summarizing the judgments of a preselected group of individuals.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Delphi Technique.

Exam Relevance: MBA, Operations Management, Business Analytics

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: The Delphi Technique is a structured method for gathering and synthesizing expert opinions to reduce subjectivity in forecasting.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse the Delphi Technique with other forecasting methods that also involve expert opinions, such as management forecasts.

Explanations: The Delphi Technique involves soliciting and summarizing the judgments of a preselected group of experts to achieve a consensus forecast. This method aims to minimize bias and subjectivity by allowing experts to provide their opinions anonymously and iteratively refine their forecasts based on feedback from the group. This process ensures that the final forecast is a collective judgment, reducing the influence of any single individual's bias.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Forecasting is a broad term that encompasses various methods, including the Delphi Technique, but it does not specifically refer to the structured process of soliciting and summarizing expert opinions.
Option B: Markov Analysis is a statistical method used to predict future states based on current states, and it does not involve soliciting expert opinions.
Option C: Delphi Technique is the correct answer as it specifically refers to the structured method of soliciting and summarizing expert opinions to reduce subjectivity in forecasting.
Option D: Management Forecasts are typically based on the opinions of managers within an organization and do not necessarily involve a structured process to reduce subjectivity.

Mnemonic: D for Delphi, D for Decrease Subjectivity

905. There are four parts to the HR plan, which follow an individual's career path as the employee progresses in the business. Which of the following is NOT a part of the HR (workforce) plan:

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Paid time-off.

Exam Relevance: HR Management, Business Administration, Organizational Behavior

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: The HR plan typically includes stages such as recruitment, appraisal, and redundancy, but paid time-off is generally considered a benefit rather than a part of the career progression plan.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse paid time-off with other HR policies that are part of the career progression plan, such as performance appraisals or redundancy procedures.

Explanations: The HR plan focuses on the stages of an employee's career within an organization, including recruitment, appraisal, and redundancy. Paid time-off is a benefit provided to employees and does not directly relate to the career progression stages outlined in the HR plan.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Appraisal is a part of the HR plan as it involves evaluating employee performance.
Option B: Paid time-off is not a part of the HR plan but is a benefit provided to employees.
Option C: Recruitment is a part of the HR plan as it involves hiring new employees.
Option D: Redundancy (lay-off) is a part of the HR plan as it involves managing employee departures.

906. In this technique, personnel specialists and operating managers prepare lists of statements of very effective and very ineffective behavior for an employee.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Critical incident technique.

Exam Relevance: HRM exams, Organizational Behavior exams, Management exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: The critical incident technique involves collecting specific examples of effective and ineffective behavior in the workplace to evaluate job performance.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse the critical incident technique with other performance appraisal methods, such as forced choice or essay evaluation, which do not focus on specific behavioral incidents.

Explanations: The critical incident technique is a method used in performance appraisal where personnel specialists and operating managers prepare lists of statements describing very effective and very ineffective behavior for an employee. This technique focuses on specific instances of behavior, making it distinct from other methods that may rely on more general assessments or subjective judgments.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. The critical incident technique involves collecting specific examples of effective and ineffective behavior in the workplace.
Option B: Incorrect. Forced choice involves selecting from a set of predetermined statements, not preparing lists of specific behaviors.
Option C: Incorrect. Essay evaluation involves writing a narrative description of an employee's performance, not preparing lists of specific behaviors.
Option D: Incorrect. Management by Objective focuses on setting and achieving specific goals, not preparing lists of specific behaviors.

Mnemonic: CIT: Critical Incidents Tell

907. What is the compensation plan that combines wage or salary with an additional amount based on the employee's performance?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) Base plus incentive.

Exam Relevance: Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Management Accounting

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: The compensation plan that combines a fixed wage or salary with an additional amount based on performance is known as a base plus incentive plan.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse this with commission, which is typically based on sales performance alone, or piece rate, which is based on the number of units produced.

Explanations: A base plus incentive plan includes a guaranteed base salary or wage, supplemented by additional payments tied to performance metrics. This structure ensures a minimum income while motivating employees to achieve higher performance levels.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Piece rate is a payment system based on the number of units produced, not performance metrics.
Option B: Time wage is a fixed payment for a set period of time, without additional performance-based incentives.
Option C: Commission is a payment based on a percentage of sales, not a combination of base salary and performance incentives.
Option D: Base plus incentive correctly describes a plan that combines a fixed wage or salary with performance-based incentives.

Mnemonic: Base plus bonus, not just base or bonus alone.

908. A small business owner should do all of the following when interviewing potential employees EXCEPT

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Refuse to allow the job applicant to ask questions—you are the one asking the questions.

Exam Relevance: HR Management Exams, Business Management Exams, Recruitment and Selection Exams

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: The correct answer highlights the importance of allowing job applicants to ask questions during an interview.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is assuming that the interviewer should control the entire conversation and not allow the applicant to ask questions.

Explanations: Allowing job applicants to ask questions is crucial for a successful interview. It provides insight into the applicant's interest and engagement with the position and company. It also helps the applicant make an informed decision about whether the job is a good fit for them. Therefore, refusing to allow the applicant to ask questions is not a good practice.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Explaining the atmosphere in which the job applicant would work is a good practice as it helps the applicant understand the work environment.
Option B: Avoiding ruling out a job applicant until the interview is over is a fair practice as it ensures a thorough evaluation of the candidate.
Option C: Refusing to allow the job applicant to ask questions is not a good practice as it limits the applicant's ability to gather information and engage in the interview process.
Option D: Talking about the significance of working at a new business is a good practice as it can motivate the applicant and provide context for the job role.

909. "Provide greater variety" is focusing in

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Job Enlargement.

Exam Relevance: Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Management Exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Job Enlargement involves increasing the number of tasks or responsibilities within a job to provide greater variety and reduce monotony.

Common Mistakes: Students often confuse Job Enlargement with Job Enrichment, which focuses on increasing the depth of a job rather than the variety of tasks.

Explanations: Job Enlargement aims to provide greater variety by increasing the number of tasks an employee performs. This approach is designed to reduce monotony and increase job satisfaction by diversifying the tasks an individual is responsible for. The focus on variety aligns with the concept of "Provide greater variety," making Job Enlargement the correct answer.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Job Enlargement increases the number of tasks to provide greater variety.
Option B: Incorrect. Job Enrichment focuses on increasing the depth of a job, not the variety of tasks.
Option C: Incorrect. Job Rotation involves moving employees between different jobs, not increasing the variety of tasks within a single job.
Option D: Incorrect. Job Simplification reduces the complexity of tasks, which is opposite to providing greater variety.

910. Typically concerned with only one of the five functional areas.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) HR Specialist.

Exam Relevance: SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: HR Specialists focus on a specific area within human resources, such as recruitment, compensation, or training and development.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse HR Specialists with HR Generalists, who handle a broader range of HR functions.

Explanations: HR Specialists are typically concerned with only one of the five functional areas of human resources, such as recruitment, compensation, or training and development. This specialization allows them to develop deep expertise in a particular area, making them the correct choice for the question.

Option Analysis:

Option A: HR Executive typically oversees multiple HR functions and is not limited to a single area.
Option B: HR Generalist handles a broad range of HR functions and is not specialized in one area.
Option C: HR Specialist focuses on a specific area within human resources, fitting the description of being concerned with only one functional area.
Option D: HR Professional is a general term that can encompass various roles, not necessarily limited to a single functional area.

Mnemonic: S-P-E-C-I-A-L-I-S-T: Specialized, Particular, Expertise, Concentrated, In, A, Limited, Specialized, Territory.

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Human Resource Management MCQ - Set 91

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