Essay questions chapter 1:

1) What is human resource management? What competencies are necessary for HR

managers to succeed in today's business environment? Explain your answer in a
brief essay.
1.1. Human resource management
- Is the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees,
and of attending and includes HR functionals.
- to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness
- to carry out an organization's mission, vision, and goals.

1.2. The HR Manager competencies necessary for HR managers to succeed in today's

business environment:
HR managers need to possess a wide range of competencies to effectively navigate
the complexities of their roles. Some key competencies necessary for HR managers
to succeed are:
- Strategic Thinking: HR managers consider the organization's vision, mission,
and long-term objectives to develop effective strategies for success.
- Business Acumen: HR managers need a solid understanding of industry
trends, market dynamics, and the financial aspects of the organization. This
enables them to provide valuable insights, make data-driven decisions, and
demonstrate the value of HR initiatives to senior management
- HR Knowledge and Expertise: HR managers should possess a deep
understanding of human resources principles, practices, and regulations and stay
updated on evolving HR trends, employment laws, and benefits strategies
- Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: HR managers should possess strong
problem-solving and decision-making skills to analyze complex situations,
evaluate potential risks, and make timely and effective decisions.

2) What are the five basic functions of the management process? Explain some
of the specific activities involved in each function. Which function is most
closely associated with human resource management?
2.1. Five basic functions of the management process are planning, organizing,
staffing, leading, and controlling
2.2. Some of the specific activities involved in each function
⁃ Planning. Establishing goals and standards; developing rules and
procedures; developing plans and forecasts
⁃ Organizing. Giving each subordinate a specific task; establishing
departments; delegating authority to subordinates; establishing channels of
authority and communication; coordinating the work of subordinates
⁃ Staffing. Determining what type of people should be hired; recruiting
prospective employees; selecting employees; setting performance
standards; compensating employees; evaluating performance; counseling
employees; training and developing employees
⁃ Leading. Getting others to get the job done; maintaining morale;
motivating subordinates
⁃ Controlling. Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or
production levels; checking to see how actual performance compares with
these standards; taking corrective action as needed
2.3. Staffing is the function most closely associated to human resource management
because it directly deals with the acquisition, deployment, and retention of an
organization's workforce. However, HR managers actually perform all five functions.

3) Why is human resource management important to all managers? What is

the role of line managers in human resource management?
3.1. HRM is important to all managers for several reasons
⁃ Managers can do everything else RIGHT - lay brilliant plans, draw
clear organization charts, set up world-class assembly lines, and use
sophisticated accounting controls- but still FAIL, by hiring the WRONG
people or by not motivating subordinates.
⁃ On the other hand, many managers - presidents, generals, governors,
supervisors - have been successful even with inadequate plans,
organizations, or controls because they had the knack for hiring the right
people for the right jobs and motivating, appraising, and developing them.
=> The direct handling of people is an integral part of every line manager's duties.
3.2. The role of line managers in HRM (10)
 ⁃ Placing the right person in the right job
⁃ Starting new employees in the organization (orientation)
⁃ Training employees for jobs that are new to them
⁃ Improving the job performance of each person
⁃ Gaining creative cooperation and developing smooth working relationships
⁃ Interpreting the company’s policies and procedures
⁃ Controlling labor costs
⁃ Developing the abilities of each person
⁃ Creating and maintaining departmental morale
⁃ Protecting employees’ health and physical conditions

4) Explain the difference between line authority and staff authority. What type
of authority do human resource managers usually have?
4.1. The difference between line authority and staff authority
Line authority Staff authority
Issue orders to other managers Advise other managers and
and employees employees
A superior – subordinate An advisory relationship
relationship

4.2. HR managers usually have staff authority type because they are responsible for
assisting and advising line managers in areas like recruiting, hiring, and
compensating. However, human resource managers do have line authority within their
own departments.

Chapter 2 HR Planning
Essay question:
1) What tools are available for projecting personnel needs? Provide your answer in a
brief essay.
Trend tools used for projecting personnel include the trend analysis, the ratio analysis, and
scatter plot
Trend analysis provides an initial estimate of future staffing needs, but employment levels
rarely depend just on the passage of time. Other factors (like changes in sales volume and
productivity) also affect staffing needs.

Ratio analysis, means making forecasts based on the historical ratio between some casual
factors (like sale volume) and the number of employees required (such as number of
salespeople).

Also, a scatter plot shows graphically how two variables - such as sales and your firm’s
staffing levels - are related.

Chapter 3 Job Analysis and Description

Essay questions
1) How does job analysis support human resource management activities? Briefly
describe one of the methods commonly used for gathering job analysis data.

1.1. Job analysis provides critical support to HRM activities. It provides information about
what duties the job entails and human characteristics are required. It’s also crucial for
validating all major HR practices. It helps HR managers learn what duties and standards
are to have a performance appraisal comparison. It also pinpoints what training the job
requires.
1.2. A commonly used method for gathering job analysis data is through questionnaires or
surveys. These structured instruments allow for efficient and standardized data collection
from job incumbents, supervisors, or subject matter experts. The data obtained helps in
developing accurate job description, competency framework, and aligning HR practices
with job requirements. Questionnaires/surveys provide quantitative insights to inform
decision-making and enhance organization performance.

2) What are the steps involved in the job analysis process? (6)
- Step 1: Decide how you will use the information
- Step 2: Review relevant background information about the job, such as organization
charts and process charts.
- Step 3: Select representative positions
- Step 4: Actually analyze the job
 - Step 5: Verify the job analysis information with the worker performing the job and
with his or her immediate supervisor
- Step 6: Develop a JD and JS

3) Briefly discuss the methods available for collecting job analysis information.
● Interviews: Structured interviews involve asking specific questions about job duties,
skills, knowledge, and other job-related factors. Unstructured interviews allow for
open-ended discussions to explore various aspects of the job in more detail.
● Questionnaires and Surveys: provide a structured and standardized approach to
collect job analysis data. These instruments typically include a series of questions
related to job tasks, responsibilities, skills, and other relevant factors. They can be
administered online or on paper.
● Observations: can help identify task sequences, physical demands, environmental
factors, and interactions with others. This method is particularly useful for jobs
where physical actions or behaviors are critical.
● Qualitative methods: not always suitable. It gathers descriptive and subjective
information about job roles, responsibilities, and requirements. These techniques
focus on obtaining in-depth insights and understanding of the qualitative aspects of
a job.
● Participant Diaries/Logs: Asking employees to keep work diaries or logs where they
record their daily activities, tasks, and time spent on each task can provide detailed
information about their job responsibilities and work patterns. This method helps
capture the actual work performed over a certain period of time.
● Electronic job analysis methods: refer to the use of digital tools and technology to
collect and analyze job analysis data.

4) What is the difference between job enlargement, job rotation, and job enrichment?

Job enlargement Job rotation Job enrichment

Assigning workers Systematically moving Redesigning jobs in a way

additional same- level workers from one job to that increases the
 activities. another. opportunities for the worker
to experience feelings of
responsibility, achievement,
growth, and recognition.

⇒ In summary, job enlargement expands the scope of tasks within a job, job rotation involves
moving employees across different positions, and job enrichment enhances a job's depth and
quality by providing greater autonomy and responsibility.

Chapter 4 Recruitment

Essay questions
1) What are the pros and cons associated with using internal sources of job candidates?

Pros Cons

- No substitute for knowing a - The process of posting openings and

candidate’s strengths and getting inside applicants can also be
weaknesses a waste of time
- More committed to the company - Rejected inside applicants may
- Require less orientation and training become discontented
- Less tend to come in at higher
salaries

2) Why do employers turn to private employment agencies for assistance in recruiting?

Provide at least four reasons for the use of such employment agencies.
Private employment agencies are important sources of clerical, white-collar, and managerial
personnel. They charge fees (set by state law and posted in their offices) for each applicant
they place. Most are “fee-paid” jobs, in which the employer pays the fee.

There are several reasons for the use of a private employment agency:
 - The firm doesn’t have its own human resources department and feels it can’t do a
good job recruiting and screening.
- The firm must fill a job quickly.
- There is a perceived need to attract more minority or female applicants.
- The firm want to reach currently employed individuals, who might feel more
comfortable dealing with agencies than with competing companies.
- The firm want to reduce the time you’re devoting to recruiting

3) Why are tests and other screening tools an important aspect of employee selection?
What rights do test takers have during the testing process?
- Tests and other screening tools are an important aspect of employee selection because
they provide objective information about a candidate's skills, abilities, and
personality traits. This information can be used to make more informed hiring
decisions and reduce the risk of hiring the wrong candidate.( note bổ sung: risk of
performance, cost, and legal obligation)

- Test takers have rights during the testing process, including:

● The right to privacy: Test takers have the right to privacy during the testing
process. Employers must ensure that test results are kept confidential and
only shared with authorized personnel.
● The right to be free from discrimination: Test takers have the right to be free
from discrimination based on their race, gender, age, religion, or other
protected characteristics. Employers must ensure that tests are fair and
unbiased.
● The right to receive feedback on their performance: Test takers have the right
to receive feedback on their performance during the testing process.
Employers must provide test takers with information about their scores and
how they were calculated.
● The right to request accommodations: Test takers who have a disability that
may impact their ability to take the test have the right to request
accommodations. Employers must provide reasonable accommodations that
do not create an undue hardship on the organization.

4) What is test validity? How are selection tests validated?

 ● The accuracy with which a test, interview, and so on, measures what it purports to
measure or fulfills the function it was designed to fill.
● There is a process to validate the selection tests which includes 5 steps:
○ Step 1: Analyze the job
○ Step 2: Choose the tests
○ Step 3: Administer the test
○ Step 4: Relate your test scores and criteria
○ Step 5: Cross-validate and revalidate

5) What are some common errors that managers make during interviews and what
impact can they have?
There are some common errors that managers make during interviews:
● First impression (Snap judgments)
○ Damaging when the prior information about the candidate is negative.
○ Interviewers are more influenced by unfavorable than favorable information
○ Their impressions are much more likely to change from favorable to
unfavorable
● Not clarifying what the job requires
○ Usually make decisions based on incorrect impressions or stereotypes of what
a good applicant is.
● Candidate-order (contrast) error and pressure to hire
○ An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to interviewing one or
more very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in question.
● Nonverbal behavior and impression management
○ Nonverbal behaviors are probably so important because interviewers infer
your personality from the way you act in the interview
● Effect of personal characteristics: Attractiveness, Gender, Race
○ Physical attributes also distort assessments.
○ Interviewers’ reactions to minority stereotypes are complex
○ In general, candidates evidencing various attributes and disabilities (such as
child-care demands, HIV-positive status, or being wheelchair-bound) have less
chance of obtaining a positive decision, even when they performed well in the
structured interview.
 6) In a brief essay, discuss the differences between structured situational interviews and
unstructured/nondirective interviews.

BASIS FOR STRUCTURED INTERVIEW UNSTRUCTURED

COMPARISON INTERVIEW

Meaning
An interview following a set An unstructured
sequence of questions. conversational-style interview in
which the interviewer pursues
points of interest as they come
up in response to questions.

Data collection Quantitative Qualitative

Research Descriptive Exploratory

Type of question Closed-ended questions Open-ended questions

Factor evaluated Explicit Implicit

Used by Positivist Interpretivist

Application To validate results, when the To probe personal details of the

number of candidates is quite candidate, so as to judge if he is
large. the right person for the job.

- In an unstructured interviews, the manager follows no set format

● Provide opportunity to pursue points of interest by asking follow-up questions
- In a structured interviews, the employer lists questions ahead of the time and may
even weight possible alternative answers for appropriateness.
● Interviews be more consistent, reliable and invalid
● Help less talented interviewers conduct better interviews
● Enhance job relatedness, reduce overall subjectivity
Chapter 5 Training and Development

Essay questions
1) What is the difference between a task analysis and a performance analysis? What is
the purpose of each in regards to training?

task analysis performance analysis

- for training lower-level employees - for underperforming current

- a detailed study of the job to employees
determine what skills the job - to verify that there is performance
requires. efficiency and to determine if
training is the solution.

Task analysis is a detailed study of the job to determine what specific skills (like reading
spreadsheets for a clerk) the job requires. For task analysis, job descriptions and job
specifications are essential. They list the job’s specific duties and skills, which are the basic
reference points in determining the training required. Managers also uncover training needs
by reviewing performance standards, performing the job, and questioning current jobholders
and their supervisors.
Performance analysis is the process of verifying that there is a performance deficiency and
determining whether the employer should correct such deficiencies through training or
some other means (like transferring the employee).

2) In a brief essay, discuss how mobile devices, such as iPhones, are used by firms to
facilitate employee training.
Employee training aims to provide employees with particular knowledge and skills that
would help improve their job performance. Training is important because acquiring new
knowledge and skills keeps employees updated on the several developments made in the
industry.

The devices can be used in the following ways;

- To provide personal learning at an individual's own time: This can be highly effective
since a person can undertake the training program at a time and place that they are most
comfortable.

- To provide pre-training instructions: This helps expose an employee to the details of a

training session that needs to be conducted. It increases the training productivity since the
employee would already have a rough idea of the concept; hence the actual training session
would only focus on physical activities and answering any questions present.

- To train remote workers: Training remote workers can be expensive for an organization.
Therefore, the use of mobile devices provides online training support that can be used to
provide employee training.

3) What is on-the-job training? What types of on-the-job training methods are most
frequently used by employers?
- On-the-job training (OJT) means having a person learn a job by actually doing
it or it is training a person to learn a job while working on it.
- The most familiar on-the-job training is the coaching or understudy method.
Here, an experienced worker or the trainee’s supervisor trains the employee.
This may involve simply observing the supervisor, or (preferably) having the
supervisor or job expert show the new employee the ropes, step by step.

4) What is programmed learning and why is it used in organizations?

- A systematic method for teaching job skills, involving presenting questions or facts,
allowing the person to respond, and giving the learner immediate feedback on the
accuracy of his or her answers. Consists of 3 parts:
1. Presenting questions, facts, or problems to the learner
2. Allowing the person to respond
3. Providing feedback on the accuracy, with instructions on what to do next
- WHY? Programmed learning reduces training time. It also facilitates learning by
letting trainees learn at their own pace, get immediate feedback, and reduce their
risk of error.

Chapter 6 Performance Appraisal

Essay questions
1) What are the four job-relevant dimensions that can be measured by the
graphic-rating scale method of performance appraisal? What problems are associated
with graphic-rating scales?
The graphic scale rating technique of performance appraisal includes the following
job-relevant dimensions:
1. Generic job dimension: It deals with the general responsibilities of a person from a
particular task.

2. Actual duties of a job: It includes the actual duties that a job consists.

3. Objectives: It includes the goals of the job.

4. Competencies: It includes the competencies required to do a job.

Problems that are related to the graphic-rating scale are as follows:

● Unclear standards: An appraisal that is too open to interpretation.

● Halo effect: In performance appraisal, the problem that occurs when a supervisor’s
rating of a subordinate on one trait biases the rating of that person on other traits
● Central tendency: A tendency to rate all employees the same way, such as rating them
all average.
● Strictness/leniency: The problem that occurs when a supervisor has a tendency to rate
all subordinates either high or low.
● Bias: The tendency to allow individual differences such as age, race, and sex to affect
the appraisal ratings employees receive

2) In a brief essay, describe the forced distribution method. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of the forced distribution method?
The forced distribution method is similar to grading on a curve. With this method, the
manager places predetermined percentages of rates into performance categories.
● Advantages
- Forced distribution’s big advantage is that it prevents supervisors from rating all or
most employees “satisfactory” or “high.”.
 - It reflects the fact that top employees often outperform average or poor ones by as
much as 100%.
● Disadvantages
- Forced distribution rating systems may also increase the risk of discriminatory
adverse impact
- Difficult to differentiate meaningfully the average employees.

3) What are the guidelines that supervisors should follow to hold effective appraisals
and minimize problems like bias and halo effects? How can rating committees improve
the fairness of the appraisal process?
The guidelines that supervisors should follow:
- Learn and understand the potential problem and possible solutions. Simply
understanding the potential for the problem can help to avoid it.
- Using the right appraisal tool for each situation is important.
- Supervisors can keep a diary of critical incidents to file and use for later reference
for subordinate's appraisals. This technique helps to ensure that both negative and
positive incidents are recorded.
- Improve unsatisfactory performance or reinforce exemplary performance.

Employers commonly utilize rating committees comprising the employee's immediate

supervisor and two or three other supervisors. Multiple raters enhance the reliability,
fairness, and validity of composite ratings, despite potential discrepancies among individual
supervisors. Additionally, this approach helps mitigate issues like bias and halo effects.
4) Why is it important for a manager to appraise a subordinate's performance? How
can a manager handle a subordinate who is defensive when told that his or her
performance is poor?
It’s important for a manager to appraise a subordinate’s performance BECAUSE:
- Most employers base pay, promotion, retention decision on the employee's
appraisal.
- Appraisals play a central role in the employer's performance management
process.
- It lets the manager and subordinate develop a plan for correcting any deficiencies
that might exist and to reinforce and support things that are done well.
 - Appraisals can serve a useful career planning purpose by providing he opportunity
to review the employee's career plans in light of his or her strengths and weaknesses.

A manager can handle a subordinate who is defensive when told that his or her performance
is poor:
When a supervisor tells someone his or her performance is poor, the first reaction is often
denial. Denial is a defense mechanism.
Understanding and dealing with defensiveness is an important appraisal skill. A supervisor
should recognize that defensive behavior is normal and never attack a person's defenses. A
supervisor should postpone action because given sufficient time, a more rational reaction
may take over. A supervisor should not try to be a psychologist. Offering understanding is
one thing; trying to deal with psychological problems is another.

Chapter 7: Compensation
Essay questions
1) What are the two primary ways to make direct financial payments to employees?
How does compensation for managers or professionals differ from compensation for
clerical or production workers at a firm?
There are 2 primary ways to make direct financial payments to employees are:
- First, employers can make direct financial payments to employees based on in-
crements of time. Time-based pay still predominates. Blue-collar and clerical
workers receive hourly or daily wages, for instance. Others, like managers or Web
designers, tend to be salaried and paid weekly, monthly, or yearly.

- Second, direct payment option is to pay for performance. For example, piecework
ties compensation to the amount of production (or number of “pieces”) the worker
turns out. Sales commissions tie pay to sales. Many employers’ pay plans combine
time-based pay and incentives.

Compensation for managers or Compensation for clerical or production

professionals workers
2) Explain the equity theory of motivation. What are the four forms of equity?
● The equity theory of motivation postulates that people are motivated to maintain a
balance between what they perceive as their contributions and their rewards. Equity
theory states that if a person perceives an inequity a tension or drive will develop that
motivates him or her to reduce the tension and perceived inequity.
● In compensation, one can address external, internal, individual, and procedural
equity.
○ External equity refers to how a job’s pay rate in one company compares to the
job’s pay rate in other companies. (same pay rate in 2 companies) → Salary
survey
○ Internal equity refers to how fair the job’s pay rate is when compared to other
jobs within the same company (pay rate of 2 jobs in 1 company) → Job
analysis comparison
○ Individual equity refers to the fairness of an individual’s pay as compared with
what his or her coworkers are earning for the same or very similar jobs within
the company, based on each person’s performance. (pay compares with
co-worker for 1 job in 1 company)
○ Procedural equity refers to the “perceived fairness of the processes and
procedures used to make decisions regarding the allocation of pay.”

3) What are the primary factors involved in determining compensation for a firm's CEO?
For a CEO position, job evaluation typically has little relevance. One recent study concluded
that three main factors: job complexity (span of control, the number of functional divisions
over which the executive has direct responsibility, and management level), the employer's
ability to pay (total profit and rate of return), and the executive's human capital
(educational level, field of study, work experience) accounted for about two-thirds of
executive compensation variance.

There are various reasons why boards are clamping down on executive pay. The Dodd-Frank
law of 2010 requires American companies give shareholders a "say on pay." Law firms are
filing class-action suits demanding information from companies about their senior executives'
pay decisions. As of 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required filing
 more compensation-related information, including a detailed listing of all individual "perks"
or benefits if they total more than $100,000. As of 2005, the Financial Accounting Standards
Board required that most public companies recognize as an expense the fair value of the stock
options they grant. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act makes executives personally liable, under certain
conditions, for corporate financial oversight lapses.

4) What are the key differences between competency-based pay and traditional
job-based pay? Which method would you prefer if you were an employee? Why?

Competency-based Traditional job-based pay

pay

- pay for the - Broadbanding: - Comparable - Board oversight of

employee’s range, Consolidating Worth: the executive pay
depth, and types salary grades and requirement to pay
of skills and ranges into just a men and women
knowledge few wide levels or equal wages for
- comes down to “bands,” each of jobs that are
pay for which contains a dissimilar but of
knowledge, or relatively wide comparable value to
skill based pay range of jobs and the employer.
salary levels. - has implications for
- injects greater job evaluation
flexibility into
employee pay