NationalKnowledgeExamQuestions (1)
.pdf
National Knowledge Exam® - Sample Questions with Answers
http://www.cchra.ca/Web/exam/nke_answers.aspx
Organizational Effectiveness
1. Which of the following job characteristics is not generally linked to employee motivation and satisfaction?
a.Skill variety
b.Task identity
c.Task significance
d.Task complexity Answer
2.'Halo Effect' when experienced in appraising employee performance during the performance appraisal review refers to which rater behaviour:
a.Tendency to rate all employees high
b.Tendency to rate weaker employees as average to avoid confrontation
c.Tendency to allow rating of one trait to bias rating of other traits
d.All of the above
Answer
3. Job analysis is sometimes called the cornerstone of human resources management. Which of the following is not an objective accomplished through job analysis:
a.Assisting managers and employees in developing performance appraisal criteria
b.Helping corporate trainers design the content of training programs
c.Facilitating compensation analysts in eliminating wage rate compression
d.Assisting recruiters in establishing job-relatedness of selection requirements
Answer
4. In an attempt to improve organizational productivity and morale, employers are giving employees increased control over the hours they work. Which of the following is not an example of more common alternative work schedules?
a.Flextime
b.Telecommuting
c.Dual career pathing
d.Job sharing Answer
5.What should be the relationship between human resources planning and corporate strategic planning?
a.HR planning should drive strategic planning
b.HR planning should only follow and support the outcome of strategic planning process
c.None, these are distinct and independent functions
d.Reciprocal and interdependent, each should contribute to the other Answer
6.Trend analysis has been a popular, systematic approach to forecasting labour demand for many years. Which of the following is not a step usually associated with this analysis:
a.Select an appropriate business factor
b.Plot historical trends
c.Develop management forecasts
d.Compute a productivity ratio
Answer
7. Performance is a function of several factors. Which of the following answers best represents the 3 elements influencing employee performance?
a.Motivation, environment and ability
b.Knowledge, abilities and technical competencies
c.Job design, skills and goals
d.Motivation, job design and competencies Answer
8.Performance appraisal methods can be broadly classified as
_______________, _______________ or _________________ approaches.
a.Trait, behavioural, critical incident
b.Trait, behavioural, results
c.Behavioural, developmental, results
d.Developmental, attitudinal, results
Answer
9.The strategic relevance of performance appraisals refers to:
a.The extent to which standards relate to the overall objectives of the organization
b.The extent to which standards capture the entire range of an employee’s responsibilities
c.The extent to which individuals tend to maintain a certain level of performance over time
d.The extent to which factors outside the employee’s control can influence performance.
Answer
10.Allowing employees to participate in setting their goals may lead to:
a.Deficits in profitability
b.A greater commitment to the MBO process
c.Increased costs
d.Goals being set at a lower level
Answer
11. Quality circles:
a.Are small teams that identify quality and productivity problems and recommend solutions to those problems
b.Are cross-functional groups that meet continuously throughout the day to discuss employee relations problems in the organization
c.Encourage multi-skilling among team members
d.Are decision making teams that employees in most companies must join as a condition of employment.
Answer
Professional Practice in Human Resources
12. When designing Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), the organization should pay careful attention to which of the following factors?
a.The need to develop non-relational databases and systems
b.Referential integrity
c.Anti-security disclosures
d.All of the above
Answer
13. The main advantage of having the organization design and built a human resource information system (HRIS) itself rather than purchase a HRIS off- the-shelf from an external software supplier is the opportunity to:
a.Better reflect internal business processes
b.Avoid making an outdated system
c.Make updates easier
d.Have better access to documentation and training resources. Answer
14.Which of the following are considered popular industry practices that help implement diversity management?
a.Alternate work arrangements
b.Mentoring and Apprenticeship programs
c.Support groups
d.All of the above
Answer
15. When confronted with an allegation of systemic discrimination, which of the following is not a possible defense strategy?
a.Business necessity
b.Bona fide occupational requirement
c.Systems of seniority
d.Non-malicious intent Answer
16.An implied employment contract:
a.is only valid when based on oral statements
b.is standard practice for contingent workers
c.exists only after an employee completes his or her probation period
d.can result from statements in an employee handbook or HR policy manual
Answer
17.A fixed cost is:
a.A cost that cannot be avoided
b.A cost that changes as output varies
c.Difficult to calculate
d.A cost that stays the same as output changes. Answer
Total Compensation
18. Which term refers to a method used to analyze whether a lead, lag, or match compensation-level strategy is most efficient for a given organization?
a.Utility analysis
b.Merit pay grid
c.Graphic rating scale
d.Comparatio
Answer
19. Which of the following is not an advantage of the point method of job evaluation?
a.High degree of precision in measuring jobs
b.Allows jobs to be clustered into pay grades more easily
c.Relatively easy and simple to develop
d.Large numbers of 'ready-made' plans offered by compensation consulting firms
Answer
20. Which of the following is not a factor internal to the organization influencing directly or indirectly the rates at which employees are paid?
a.Compensation policy of the organization
b.Labour market conditions
c.Employee's relative worth
d.Employer's ability to pay Answer
21.An employer wishing to set up a job classification system of job evaluation would have to:
a.Establish a point plan to evaluate all jobs
b.Rank jobs according to beliefs of committee members
c.Describe jobs grades with increasing amount of responsibility, skill, knowledge, or ability
d.Compare compensable factors of the jobs against compensable factors of key jobs in the organization
Answer
22. All of the following are requirements for a successful incentive compensation program except:
a.Clear connection between incentive payments and job performance
b.Employee participation in the development of the program
c.Program should gradually mature to point where employees see incentive payouts as entitlements
d.A culture where there is mutual trust and understanding between employees and their supervisors
Answer
23. Employee stock ownership plans have grown significantly in the recent past. Although many advantages are often cited, one major problem of ESOPs is that:
a.Productivity increases are rarely achieved with ESOPs
b.ESOPs place employees' pensions at risk because payout is dependant on market performance of the organization
c.Many employees are skeptical of management's motivation in offering the plans
d.Because large sums of money can be accumulated into these plans, it puts the future financial well-being of the organization into jeopardy
Answer
24.Which of the following is not a type of flexible benefit program:
a.Cafeteria-style benefits plan
b.Cost-plus benefits plan
c.Modular benefits plan
d.Core-plus-options benefits plan
Answer
25.The goal of pay equity law is to ensure:
a.There is no difference in pay between men and women performing the same work
b.Male-dominated job classes and female-dominated job classes of equal value are paid the same
c.People who perform the same job are paid the same, regardless of their colour, age, sex, race, national or ethnic origin, or marital status
d.Individuals performing the same job but using different titles based on the sex of the position incumbent are paid the same
Answer
26. A pension plan that establishes the basis on which an employer will contribute to the pension fund is a:
a.Defined benefits plan
b.Contributory plan
c.Noncontributory plan
d.Defined contribution plan Answer
27.The first step in creating an effective compensation system is:
a.Do a compensation survey
b.Develop new job descriptions
c.Understand the legal constraints affecting your firm
d.Understand your organization, your employees and the work they perform.
Answer
28.If compensation is to serve as a strategic tool it must:
a.Ensure there is low employee turnover
b.Fit the firm’s overall corporate strategy
c.Pass the test of utility analysis
d.Be similar to what key competitors are doing. Answer
29.Work motivation is defined as:
a.The desire to perform well on the job
b.Employees performing the tasks that have been assigned to them
c.The desire to remain employed by the organization
d.High membership behaviour.
Answer
30. Recent federal privacy legislation imposes restrictions on the extent to which employers can release and utilize employee information of a “personal nature” without specific informed consent on the part of the employee. Which of the following examples would be permissible without such consent?
a.Provision of employee medical information to third-party benefits providers
b.Allowing supervisors to check an employee’s record of health claims to verify absences from work
c.Allowing the employee’s supervisor access to performance appraisal data
d.Allowing access to employee assistance program records only by personnel in the HR department.
Answer
31. In conducting, a compensation survey which of the following describes the first two steps to be taken:
a.Decide which jobs to survey; decide what information to collect
b.Decide on the timing; decide which company to use
c.Decide how to evaluate; decide on gender dominant jobs; decide pay rates
d.Decide on format; decide on whom to survey.
Answer
32.A reward strategy may be defined as:
a.The mix of rewards provided to organization members
b.A means for recognizing outstanding achievement
c.A key contextual variable for an organization
d.A means through which performance bonuses are paid. Answer
33.The two key advantages to market pricing of jobs are:
a.Less complex and aligned with market conditions
b.Promotes lower labour costs and ensures competitiveness
c.Prevents compensation dissatisfaction and reduces turnover
d.Promotes task and citizenship behaviours.
Answer
Organizational Learning Training and Development
34. The criteria for evaluating the effectiveness and results of corporate training programs is established during which phase of the systems approach to training?
a.Needs assessment
b.Design
c.Implementation
d.Evaluation and transfer of training Answer
35.There are a variety of evaluation methods organizations can use to assess whether training programs achieve established goals. Which of the following statements regarding training evaluation is false?
a.Assessing participants' reactions to training is the simplest and most common approach to training evaluation
b.Testing trainees' knowledge and skills before a training program starts establishes a good baseline for evaluation of learning after training takes place
c.Application on the job of knowledge and skills acquired during training is evaluated more frequently by organizations than the learning experienced during training
d.More training managers are being pressured to show their training programs are producing 'bottom-line' results
Answer
36. Managers play a key role in supporting and facilitating employees' career planning and goals. Which of the following should line managers not do in terms of career development?