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15 WGU C232 Introduction to Human Resources Study Guide Questions and Answers (Verified Answers) 1.What are the four implicit HR objectives?
ANS: 1. improve productivity
2.improve quality of work life 3.ensure legal compliance 4.ensure ethical behavior 2.How does HR influence each of these HR objectives
ANS: (1) improve productivity
- organization and design (2) Work-Life - more autonomy and a chance to make a
greater contribution to the organization 1 / 4
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15 (3)Legal - By ensuring the company is compliant with the law (4)Ethical Behavior - often the "conscience" of the organization; models and trains 3.What are the six major trends have been identified that represent the major events that influenced the growth and importance of HRM
ANS: (1) Increased com- petition
(2)The costs and benefits associated with HR utilization (3)Productivity changes (resulting from changes in technology, capital investment, the 2008-2014 recession, capital utilization, outsourcing, and government policies) (4)The increasing pace and complexity of social, cultural, legal, demographic, and educational changes (5)The symptoms of dysfunction in the workplace (6)Societal trends of the 21st century 4.HR influences which internal environment factors
ANS: (1) culture
Shaped by top managments values (2)technology refers to the firm's equipment and knowledge 2 / 4
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15 (3)organizational structure (4)organizational size (5)economy (6)International competition 5.How doe the internal environment influences HR polices?ANS: "(1) Culture is often reflected in the company's HR policies and practices.(2)Technology - the way jobs are designed and the type of employees that are hired and trained (3)Organizational Structure -becoming flatter; reducing the number of levels of employees and by decentralizing the decision-making process.(3)Organizational size is also an important factor in determining HR activities.(4)A strong economy tends to decrease unemployment, increase wages, make recruitment more competitive, and increase the desirability of training. On the other hand, a weak economy tends to increase unemployment, diminish wage demands, make recruitment less competitive, and reduce the need for training and develop- ment of current employees 3 / 4
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15 (5)international Competition - Because corporations were forced to become more competitive, HR policies and practices within many firms changed significantly.
6.What does the acronym SWOT stand for and why would a company conduct a SWOT analysis?
ANS: tool that allows leadership to assess the firm's internal abilities and
vulnerabilities to the external environment 7.What are the six HR competencies?
ANS: (1) Provide transformation leadership
(2)Collaborate and resolve strategic challenges within the firm (3)Encourage real employee involvement (4)Empower and facilitate learning as well as change and decision-making (5)Design process and performance systems (6)Maintain a global business perspective 8.What are the eight characteristics of a strong HR professional?ANS: (1) Knowl- edge of the Business and Industry -- have solid training in strategic planning; in-depth understanding of financial statements; familiarity with sales, marketing, and
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