Case 2.2
You are the HR manager at Steel City, Inc., a firm that is considering going global in its product line and markets. The president realizes that this may require a reorganization. She wants to move into new international markets with minimum time and effort. She also wants to reduce management overhead and labor costs.
At the same time, employees have been complaining about their work. Jobs are repetitive, and employees don't know how their work fits into the big picture. The president wants to provide employees with satisfying work, autonomy, and a performance-based pay system. She wants to give them as much control as possible and remove layers of management.
91) Refer to Case 2.2. The president's ideas regarding employee dissatisfaction suggest that her thinking would be most compatible with a ________ theory of motivation.
A) two-factor
B) work adjustment
C) job characteristics
D) goal-setting
92) Refer to Case 2.2. Along with the reorganization, you need to do some job redesign. Given the specific employee complaints, your best approach would be:
A) work simplification.
B) job enrichment.
C) job rotation.
D) quality circles.
Case 2.3
Resources International, Inc. (RII) is going through a major organizational change. Executives at the firm have decided to rethink the whole organization. They believe that employees will be most strongly motivated by experiencing meaningful work, taking responsibility for outcomes, and receiving regular feedback.
The HR team will analyze jobs as part of the change process, and HR must choose the best technique for the situation. HR needs to know what the incumbents do in their jobs. HR also needs behavioral descriptions from which to build new performance appraisal systems and training programs.
Finally, RII is looking at current staffing practices and trying to decide what type of workforce is best for the future. The business is highly technical and requires highly experienced employees, but product demand is volatile. Demand can double or be cut in half from one year to the next, depending on the economy and competitors' actions. Innovation is key in RII's product development. In order to manage all the HR information generated for and during the change, RII has initiated an HRIS system.
93) Refer to Case 2.3. The best job analysis technique for RII would be a:
A) critical incident technique.
B) task inventory analysis.
C) functional job analysis.
D) methods analysis.
94) Refer to Case 2.3. Managers at RII will most likely use the HRIS for which of the following activities?
A) Conducting performance appraisals
B) Tracking production and labor expenses
C) Structuring and graphing the hierarchy of the organization
D) Matching employee skills to new positions that emerge within the company
Case 2.4
Dorenda owns a small business, and she has asked you for HR advice. Her company has a handful of permanent employees, but the work force consists mainly of contract workers. Dorenda typically employs various contractors for three-month projects. Permanent employees typically quit within one year of being hired.
Dorenda wants to increase her permanent employees' motivation, so she has set general goals for them to meet. She also plans to hire some more permanent employees, but she first wants to determine what skills, knowledge, and abilities job candidates need to have in order to meet specific company needs.
95) Refer to Case 2.4. You anticipate that Dorenda's choices regarding employee motivation will not produce the results she wants because:
A) the goals lack specificity and employee input.
B) there are too few hygiene factors in comparison to motivators.
C) employees are more motivated in a decentralized organization.
D) the goals are too challenging and frequent feedback creates employee anxiety.
96) Refer to Case 2.4. Which of the following would be the most appropriate job analysis tool?
A) task inventory analysis
B) critical incident technique
C) methods analysis
D) Hay plan
