University of Technology, Jamaica College of Business and Management Human Resources Tutorial Questions Tutorial questions H.R.M. 1.

What are the three basic challenges HR managers must address in formulating HR strategies? Which of these is the most difficult for HR? 2. What is strategic management? Define the term. List and describe the six steps in the strategic management process. 3. Explain the difference between a vision and a mission. Are both necessary for organizations? 4. During strategic management process, managers may use SWOT analysis. Explain how to use SWOT analysis and provide an example using a wellknown company. 5. Explain the three levels of strategic planning. What is the purpose or focus for each level? Which level do HR strategies represent? 6. There are three primary forms of business-level or competitive strategies. Describe them and give an example of each one. 7. Some strategic planning experts emphasize fit while others support the use of stretch. Explain these two opposing concepts. Which do you think is best? 8. What is a High Performance Work System? Explain the effects of such a system. 9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of centralizing the recruitment function? 10. Explain why generating large applicant pool is not always desirable for a firm. What implications exist for recruitment methods? 11. Why are current employees often the best source of candidates for vacant positions? 12. Explain how job analysis provides information useful in recruitment and selection, compensation and performance appraisal. 13. List the steps in conducting a job analysis. 14. Explain how a job analysis typically involves a joint effort by an HR specialist, the worker, and the workers supervisor. 15. What are the five basic functions of management? Explain some of the specific activities involved in each function. Is one function more important for human resource management?

University of Technology, Jamaica 2 Introduction to Human Resource Management 16. Explain the difference between line authority and staff authority. What type of authority do Human Resource Managers have? 17. Human resource managers carry out three distinct functions. List and explain the three functions. 18. Explain the meaning of the term non-traditional worker. Provide an example. 19. Identify five metrics used to evaluate HR performances. 20. What are the four categories of proficiencies required today for Human Resource Managers? Explain the meaning of each type of proficiency. 21. Why is it important to select the right employee for a position? 22. Describe the two main ways to demonstrate a tests validity in employment testing. What third method is rarely used? 23. Explain the five steps in the validation process. 24. Several guidelines exist for managing a testing programme. List these guidelines. 25. Industrial psychologists often emphasize the Big Five personality dimensions in personnel testing. List and explain the meaning of the Big Five dimension. What do the dimensions tell us about applicants as it relates to job success? 26. What are the advantages of using the work sampling technique for employee selection? 27. There are several methods for measuring job performance directly. List and explain three such methods. 28. What is a management assessment centre? What else can managers use these centres for besides selection? Provide five examples of typical simulated exercises used in management assessment centres. 29. How can employers protect themselves against negligent hiring? 30. What four things should successful orientation programmes accomplish? 31. Training is not useful if the traineee lacks the motivation to benefit from it. The more meaningful the material, the more motivated an employee should be to learn. How can a manager make training material more meaningful for employees? 32. There are several sources of information an employer can use to identify a current employee training needs. List five of these sources of information.

University of Technology, Jamaica 3 Introduction to Human Resource Management 33. Trainers often try to solve employee performance deficiencies with training but some deficiencies cannot be overcome with training. What other causes might exist for performance deficiency from an employee? 34. There are several types of on-the-job training. Identify and describe three types. Which one is used most often? Why? 35. What advantages are associated with on-the-job training? 36. On-the-job training can be enhanced if trainers know the four step job instruction technique. What are the four step job instructions? Explain what happens in each step. 37. Describe the programmed learning training method and explain the three parts of this form of instruction. 38. What is the goal of succession planning? What steps are involved in the process? 39. Changing employees attitudes, skills and behaviours can be difficult. Explain how Lewins Change process proposes how change should be implemented. 40. There are several components important for an effective performance management process. Name and explain five of these components. 41. Explain what the SMART acronym tells us about goal setting. 42. Why is it important for managers to appraise subordinates performance? Provide three reasons for performance appraisal. 43. Explain the three steps in the performance appraisal process. 44. What are the four types of performance that performance appraisals can measure? Explain each one. 45. What is behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS)? How would one go about developing BARS? 46. Explain how an MBO program works and describe the six steps involved in this type of programme. 47. Describe the four basic types of appraisal interviews. 48. What four techniques can help to avoid and/or minimize appraisal problems like bias, leniency and central tendency? 49. There are several guidelines for developing an appraisal process that is legally defensible. Identify four of these guidelines.

University of Technology, Jamaica 4 Introduction to Human Resource Management 50. What are the advantages for employers of claiming that someone doing work for them is an independent contractor rather than an employee? 51. Describe the various approaches that an employer could take to address the cost of living differences associated with transferring an employee to a location with a higher cost of living. 52. List and explain the two basic international compensation policies that companies use when compensating expatriate employees. 53. Explain the implications suggested by the equity theory of motivation. What are the four forms of equity? 54. How can managers assess and address each equity issue? 55. List the steps used to establish pay rates while ensuring external, internal procedural equity. 56. List the steps used in job ranking method of job evaluation. 57. What are the steps for pricing jobs with a wage curve? 58. Explain the four key differences between competency-based pay and traditional job-based pay. 59. What are the four main components of a competency based pay plan? 60. Explain the value of financial incentives as it relates to Herzbergs HygieneMotivator theory of motivation. 61. Briefly describe Vrooms theory and its three components. What implications exist for managers? 62. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using piecework as a pay plan? 63. Employees may award merit pay as traditional merit increase that increase an employees base pay or as a lump sum merit pay increase. Explain the pros and cons of these two choices. 64. What do members receive when incentives are based on a group incentive plan and tied to work standards for the whole team? Name five formulas for determining what each team member is paid. 65. Sometimes managers need to reinforce positive behaviour but cannot turn a cash incentive to do so. Name at least five positive reinforcement rewards that a manager could use on a day-today basis to reward employees. 66. Explain the advantages of employee stock ownership plans. 67. List the 8 basic steps in implementing a gain sharing plan

University of Technology, Jamaica 5 Introduction to Human Resource Management 68. Briefly explain how an at-risk variable pay plan works 69. Why do many incentive plans fail? 70. What policy issues must employees address when developing benefit plans? Name five issues. 71. Take the list of benefits and categorize them as to whether they are required by law (either federal, or state) or discretional on the part of the employer. Disability health, life insurance Social security Unemployment insurance Pensions Paid time off for vacations and holidays Workers compensation Employee assistance and counselling programs Leave under the Family Medical Leave acts Family friendly benefits for child care, elder care, flexible work schedules Executive perquisites