Assessment Test

1. According to the WARN Act, an employer with 200 employees is required to 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 company’s 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 employees are
laid off.

2. An employee has come forward with an allegation of quid pro quo harassment by her
supervisor. As the HR manager, you are responsible for investigating the complaint. 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

3. As of September 1, 1997, the federal minimum wage is set at:

A. $5.15 per hour
B. $7.16 per hour
C. $5.75 per hour
D. $6.75 per hour

4. During the union organizing process, the bargaining unit is determined

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

5. The motivation theory that suggests people are motivated by the reward they 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. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
B. Adams’ Equity Theory
C. McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory
D. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

6. The most effective method of performance evaluation is

A. A field review process
B. A continuous feedback process
C. A forced ranking process
D. A behaviorally anchored rating scale process

7. An example of a nonqualified deferred compensation plan is

A. An excess deferral plan
B. A target benefit plan
C. A money purchase plan
D. A cash balance plan

8. Which of the following is an example of a passive training method?

A. Vestibule training
B. Demonstration
 C. Distance learning
D. Self-study

9. The OSHA consulting service

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

10. One purpose of a diversity initiative is to:

A. Increase workplace creativity
B. Increase the effectiveness of the workforce
C. Increase the organization’s ability to attract customers
D. All of the above

11. When workplace conditions pose a threat to an unborn child, the company 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.

12. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

A. Prevents HR from investigating claims issues
B. Requires continuation of health benefits
C. Established EPO networks
D. Limited preexisting condition restrictions

13. The concept that recognized businesses as social organizations as well as 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

14. Before selecting an HRIS system, which of the following questions should be 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.

15. The correlation coefficient is a statistical measurement that is useful for:

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

16. The process of identifying risks and taking steps to minimize them is referred to as:
A. Liability management
B. Risk management
C. Qualitative analysis
D. Risk assessment

17. When an employer wants to obtain insight into employee goals, job 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

18. Examples of workplace ethics issues include:

A. Workplace privacy
B. Conflicts of interest
C. Whistle-blowing
D. All of the above

19. Which of the following statements about substance abuse policies is not true?
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.

20. Which one of the following statements is true of a hostile work environment?
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.

21. An HR audit is designed to help management

A. Improve employee morale
B. Analyze HR policies, programs, and procedures against applicable legal requirements
C. Improve HR effectiveness
D. All of the above

22. Which of the following is a productivity type of statistical HR measurement?

A. Turnover and retention
B. Cost per hire
C. Revenue per employee
D. Job satisfaction

23. Which of the following is an example of a strategic OD intervention?

A. Leadership development
B. Total quality management
C. A learning organization
D. Teambuilding activities

24. A statement of cash flows is a financial report that tells you:

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

25. According to the Copyright Act of 1976, which of the following is most likely 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 nonprofit organization
C. Distributing 30 copies of a paragraph in a book to a study group
D. None of the above
26. A PEST analysis is used during the strategic planning process. PEST is an acronym for:
A. Political, environmental, strengths, threats
B. Political, economic, specific, timely
C. Political, economic, social, technology
D. Product, environment, social, technology

27. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Delphi technique?

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.

28. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 grants employees the right to 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

29. Which of the following alternative staffing methods would be most appropriate 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

30. A standard employment practice that seems to be fair, yet results in discrimination against a
protected class is a description of:
A. Disparate treatment
B. Disparate impact
C. Adverse impact
D. Unfair treatment

31. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
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

32. Measuring staffing needs against sales volume could be done most effectively by using which
of the following techniques?
A. A multiple linear regression
B. A ratio
C. A simulation model
D. A simple linear regression

33. Which of the following points is important to effective lobbying, that is, 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.
34. The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) requires 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
three days or longer

35. The FLSA requires employers to pay nonexempt employees for time spent:
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

36. The ______________________ seating arrangement is best for case discussions where
everyone can observe each other and a trainer.
A. theater style
B. U-shaped style
C. classroom style
D. banquet style

37. A process for reducing the impact of bias during performance reviews by using multiple raters
is known as:
A. Inter-rater reliability
B. An MBO review
C. A rating scale
D. Paired comparison

38. According to the OSHA inspection priorities, which type of workplace hazard receives first
priority for an inspection?
A. Catastrophes and fatal accidents
B. Programmed high-hazard inspections
C. Imminent danger
D. Employee complaints

39. A lockout occurs when

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.

40. Total quality management focuses all employees on producing products that 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

41. A high-involvement organization is an example of what type of OD intervention?

A. Human process
B. Human resource management
C. Techno-structural
D. Strategic

42. An employee earning $22,500 per year supervises three other employees and spends 35
 hours per week on essential job duties that require discretion and independent judgment. This
employee is
A. Exempt, based on the executive exemption test
B. Exempt, based on the administrative exemption test
C. Nonexempt, based on the salary basis requirement
D. Nonexempt

43. Health and wellness programs are beneficial for employers because they:
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

44. An effective progressive disciplinary process begins with

A. A written warning
B. A verbal warning
C. A suspension
D. Coaching or counseling

45. Which of the following would be considered an extrinsic reward?

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

46. “Thanks for such a great presentation! You’ll always have a job with us.” This is an example of
A. The duty of good faith and fair dealing
B. An express contract
C. An implied contract
D. Fraudulent misrepresentation

47. Samantha is hiring an outside sales rep for a new sales territory. Part of the selection process
included an assessment test that measures successful sales characteristics. Samantha
scored particularly high on the test. During the interview, Christopher, the hiring manager, had
some concerns about how well Samantha would fit into the company culture, but when he
learned how high she scored on the test, he immediately decided to hire her. What bias could
be at work in this situation?
A. Halo effect
B. Knowledge-of-predictor effect
C. Cultural noise effect
D. Stereotyping effect

48. The Excelsior list is

A. A list of all employees in the bargaining unit provided by the employer to the union
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

49. Which of the following activities is not a responsibility of the operations 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

50. Which of the following activities does not contribute to ergonomic injuries?
 A. Awkward postures
B. Extended vibrations
C. Falling down stairs
D. Contact stress

51. A target benefit plan

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

52. To increase the chances for successful repatriation of employees, the process 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