Human Resource Management

Instructions:

To create this take-home mid-term, I asked myself “What are the most essential things that students could learn from this first term?” So, I read and reflected on the textbook chapters, wrote down the most essential things, and then narrowed it down to a final list of questions. Each question is equally weighted. My advice is to break your answers up over several days and carefully proofread your answers.

Each answer should be a minimum of 1 double-spaced page.

YOU WILL BE EVALUATED ON YOUR BEST 8 ANSWERS.

Formatting: Time New Roman, 12-point font, double spacing without additional paragraph spacing. No references are required unless you cite external content.

Exam Policy:
● You are to complete your exam individually
● Your exam will be checked for plagiarism
● Answers should be written in paragraph format

Submit via Blackboard

1. What is a customer-oriented perspective of the HRM function? How could traditional HR departments restructure to accomplish the department’s goals? Briefly describe to two main ways we can measure if a department is being effective and provide a brief example for each one. Provide an example of how an HR department can reengineer a process to better meet customer needs. [Chapter 16]
2. What is Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)? What is the core underlying theme of EEO? What are two different types of discrimination? What is the plaintiff’s burden when filing a legal complaint for each type of discrimination? Describe three of the business advantages of having a diverse workforce that reflects the local population [See p. 40; Table 1.12]? Describe how the workforce is aging and other shifts in workforce demographics in the USA. Review how employers can capitalize on these changes by creating an inclusive workforce. [See Chapter 1, pp. 33-40].
3. What is workflow analysis and why is it so important? What is job analysis? Review and contrast the four approaches of job (re)design including mechanistic, motivational, biological, and perceptual-motor. Why is it difficult to conclude whether one theory is superior to the others?
4. Review the human resource planning model. This should include: What is a labor surplus and labor shortage? How do we forecast these? What comes next? When reviewing goal setting and strategic planning, review at least 2 methods we can use to reduce a labor surplus and 2 methods we can use to reduce a labor shortage. Be specific and include both their strengths and limitations.
5. Employee recruitment is a critical function—it determines who might join our workforce. According to the textbook and lecture, what are the three main recruitment influences that an employer has control over? For each influence, review at least two choices an organization has. What is the difference between active and passive recruitment?
6. Which selection methods are best used for screening minimum qualifications (as discussed in lecture) and why? Why should we use structured interviews instead of unstructured interviews? What personality trait(s) is/are relevant to most jobs? What is cognitive ability and why is helpful across most jobs? Integrity (or “honesty”) testing and drug testing can be useful in some situations. What are the drawbacks to using these measures?
7. What are the differences between traditional and continuous performance management, and why are organizations moving to a continuous model? What are the limits of performance evaluation (think performance appraisal)? Should we separate evaluation and feedback? How do we provide good performance feedback to employees? How do you think numerical grades impact your own reaction to academic feedback in classes (and give examples!)?
8. What is voluntary and involuntary turnover? Review progressive discipline, positive discipline, or alternative dispute resolution as tools to deal with involuntary turnover. Review how job dissatisfaction can lead to job withdrawal and turnover. Make specific reference to the model in the textbook and lecture. How can organizations reduce turnover of valuable employees?
9. Explain and contrast job-based compensation structures including point-based job evaluation and market-pay to determining employee compensation. Now, contrast this with person-based compensation that is linked to an employee’s knowledge, skills, and competencies. Is there a “gold standard” or does the best approach depend on your organization’s operations, industry, and pay strategy? Why/Why not?
10. What can we learn from Expectancy Theory and Agency Theory when designing compensation systems? Make sure to describe each theory and its implications for compensation design. Describe one individual and one collective pay-for-performance program. Be sure to define each and review their strengths and limitations.
11. Employee benefits are a substantial component of employee pay. Review two reasons employee benefits become such a significant part of the compensation system. Employer-based health care has become the single most expensive benefit. How much do Americans pay for health care compared to other countries? How does that compare to healthcare outcomes such as infant mortality and life expectancy? (Hint: See Chapter 13, Table 13.6). Review 3 techniques that companies are using to control to reduce their costs. Review the video below and provide your thoughts on John Oliver’s arguments.
    Watch the following 20-minute video on “Medicare for All” by John Oliver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z2XRg3dy9k
    (John Oliver is a comedian, and there is coarse language in this video).
12. Describe and explain the trends in union membership. For example, have unions become more or less common over time, and why? Describe at least three of the tactics that some organizations can use to make it more difficult for unions to be successful, and then analyze how effective these tactics appear. Do you believe these tactics are crossing the line into unfair or illegal practices based on your reading? Finally, based on the data presented in the textbook, how beneficial does union membership appear to be on average.
13. Read chapters 7 and 9 (Training & Development). Briefly describe the three types of needs assessment (person, task, organization). Describe at least three things required to ensure transfer of training. Describe and contrast the differences between training and development. Finally, describe how job experience can be used to enhance development.

Tips:
1) Please include the question number with your answers.
2) Each question has multiple parts. Make sure you’ve answered each one!
3) Carefully proof-read your answers and have someone else read your work.
4) Complete the mid-term before the due date and use the campus writing center. Contact the writing center in advance to find out approximate timelines for reviewing and editing.
5) Take a breath and relax between each question. Take a break between questions. You’ve got this!