Question : 51. The key to a successful downsizing effort to: A. perform surgical strategic : 1251013

51. The key to a successful downsizing effort is to: 
A. perform surgical strategic cuts.
B. perform indiscriminant across-the-board cuts.
C. downsize at random.
D. cut the oldest and best-paid employees first.

The key to a successful downsizing effort is to avoid indiscriminant across-the-board cuts, and instead perform surgical strategic cuts that not only reduce costs, but also improve the firm’s competitive position.

52. Which of the following statements about older workers is false? 
A. The average age of the U.S. workforce is increasing.
B. Many baby boomers are approaching traditional retirement age.
C. Early indications are that the baby boomers group has every intention of retiring soon.
D. The decreased physical labor in many jobs has made working longer a viable option.

Although many baby boomers are approaching traditional retirement age, early indications are that this group has no intention of retiring any time soon.

53. Which of the following statements about older workers as compared to younger workers is false? 
A. Older workers are sometimes more costly than younger workers.
B. When the value of experience offsets higher costs of keeping older workers, then employers are fine.
C. Because younger workers typically occupy the best-paid jobs, they sometimes block the advancement of older workers.
D. When the value of the experience does not offset costs, it becomes difficult to pass higher costs to consumers.

Because older workers typically occupy the best-paid jobs, they sometimes prevent the hiring or block the advancement of younger workers.

54. In the face of demographic pressures dealing with an aging workforce, many employers try to induce _____ among their older workers through early retirement incentive programs. 
A. wage and salary penalties
B. work penalties
C. involuntary attrition
D. voluntary attrition

Although some research suggests that these programs do induce attrition among lower-performing older workers, to a large extent, such programs’ success is contingent upon accurate forecasting.

55. Which of the following is not an advantage of employing temporary workers as a means of eliminating a labor shortage? 
A. The use of temporary workers frees the firm from many administrative tasks and financial burdens associated with being the “employer of record.”
B. Since temporary workers are just that, they do not pose a threat to current employees in terms of job security.
C. Many temporary agencies train employees prior to sending them over to employers, which reduces training costs and eases the transition of both the temporary worker and the company.
D. Temporary workers have little experience in the host firm, thus they bring an objective perspective to the organization’s problems and procedures that is sometimes valuable.

Surveys indicate that 33 percent of full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security.

56. Identify the incorrect statement about temporary workers. 
A. Firms are more likely to derive performance benefits from temporary employees when the current set of workers perceive their job security is low relative to when they feel threatened.
B. There is often tension between a firm’s temporary employees and its full-time employees.
C. Some full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security.
D. Instead of replacing long-term employees with temporary employees, many organizations supplement their core staff with a small set of temporary workers who act more like assistants to the core staff than potential replacements.

Surveys indicate that 33 percent of full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security.

57. All of the following about outsourcing are true except one. Name the exception. 
A. Outsourcing is a logical choice when firms lack experience in an area.
B. Offshoring is a form of outsourcing.
C. Technological advancements have slowed the momentum of outsourcing being done today.
D. Outsourcing is driven by economies of scale.

Outsourcing is an organization’s use of an outside organization for a broad set of services.

58. A special case of outsourcing where the jobs that move actually leave one country and go to another is called: 
A. insourcing.
B. out-distancing.
C. offshoring.
D. overseas sourcing.

Outsourcing is aimed at simply reducing costs by hiring less expensive labor to do the work, and, more often than not, this means moving the work outside the country.

59. All of the following have contributed to wiping out the cost savings attributed to lower wages created by offshoring except: 
A. quality control problems.
B. employees weak work ethic.
C. security violations.
D. poor customer service experiences.

Outsourcing is aimed at simply reducing costs by hiring less expensive labor to do the work, and, more often than not, this means moving the work outside the country.

60. Identify the correct statement about offshoring. 
A. When choosing an outsourcing vendor, it is usually the smaller and older the better.
B. Small overseas upstarts do not take risks that one is likely to see in larger, more established contractors.
C. Any work that is proprietary should be offshored.
D. Small overseas upstarts often promise more than they can deliver.

When choosing an outsourcing vendor, it is usually the bigger and older the better. Small overseas upstarts often promise more than they can deliver and take risks that one is not likely to see in larger, more established contractors.