INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT (WGU C232) REAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
EXPLANATIONS
Performance appraisals are important for both measuring and monitoring an employee's
contribution, but they are also often the basis for deciding what?
Whether or not to implement certain retention strategies
Whether or not to change the management system
Whether or not to give promotions
Whether or not to implement certain HR strategies
Whether or not to give promotions
Performance appraisals are frequently the basis for promotions, trainings and raises, as well
as terminating employees. As such, it is critically important that they accurately reflect the
performance of employees.
When working to improve the organization's quality of work life, it is important to look at
which part of the organization?
The compensation packages offered by competitors throughout the world
The product materials in manufacturing
The physical health environment at work
The bonuses paid to the CEO
The physical health environment at work
When working to improve the organization's quality of work life, it is important to look at
both the physical health and the safety environment of the organization as well as the
psychological aspects. While in the past, the primary health and safety focus was on the
physical work environment, a growing concern now exists about the psychological work
Page | 1
,environment. Many firms realize that their strategic and competitive advantage is directly
impacted when the work environment of employees is poor.
Which of the following is NOT a function of Human Resource Management?
Planning HR needs
Staffing the organization's needs
Appraising client behavior
Compensating and motivating employees
Appraising client behavior
Human resource management is responsible for the recruitment, selection, training, and
motivation of the organization's employees. Human resource management (or HRM) is
therefore concerned with the fundamental task of defining and analyzing jobs in
organizations. Other HR tasks include:
Planning human resource needs within the organization
Staffing the organization's needs (once those needs have been identified)
Compensating and motivating employees
Appraising employee behavior and providing effective and constructive feedback
Enhancing the human potential within the firm
Improving the workplace environment and using the human resource capital within the
organization to reach strategic goals
Maintaining effective work relationships
Globalizing the human resource management function within the firm
True or False: HR policies must work in compliance with the organization's overall strategy?
Page | 2
,True
In order to help the firm achieve its organizational and strategic goals, human resource (HR)
policies and practices must be congruent with the organization's overall strategy
What is an example of indirect compensation when it comes to rewards that are given to
employees?
Rewards that are only given to managers or above
Rewards that are given for simply being a part of the organization
Rewards that are given for employee of the month
Rewards that are linked to the performance on the job
Rewards that are given for simply being a part of the organization
Compensation that is given simply for being a member of the organization is often referred to
as indirect compensation. Once employees are on the job, it becomes necessary to determine
how well they are doing and to reward them accordingly. Although rewards based on
performance can increase an employee's motivation to perform, other forms of compensation
are given simply for being a member of the organization. Those rewards that are directly
linked to performance on the job are often referred to as direct compensation.
HR functions are important because they serve to attract employees (an explicit objective).
HR also has a few implicit objectives. Which of the following is an implicit HR objective?
Improvement of wages
Improvement in retaining individuals
Improvement in developing individuals
Improvement of productivity
Improvement of productivity
HR functions and activities are important largely because they serve to attract, retain, and
motivate employees. However, it is also widely acknowledged that by doing an effective job
Page | 3
, in realizing these explicit objectives, HR functions and activities can positively affect the
bottom line. Conversely, a poor selection of an employee or a poorly designed program to
maintain employee motivation renders the employee unsatisfied, and performance suffers.
There are three implicit HR objectives: improvement of productivity, improvement of quality
work life, and ensuring legal compliance.
Which position in the organization determines how important human resource management
will be to that organization?
Front-line workers
Top management
Supervisors
Middle managers
Top management
Top management often determines how important HRM will be within the organization. If
top management minimizes the importance of people and the HR department to the
organization's overall success, line managers and others will do likewise. As a result, those in
the HR department will likely only perform the most routine activities and resort to
responding in a "reactive" manner to needs, rather than making "proactive" contributions. On
the other hand, when top management relies on HR to make strategies and other important
decisions, others will follow, allowing HR the opportunity to contribute and help achieve
organizational goals. As the world has become increasingly complex, managers and others
have come to realize the important and critical role of HR.
In the early 1900s, what was Human Resources primarily concerned with?
Distributing paychecks and working with unions
Being a strategic partner
Engaging in training and development
Being a protector
Page | 4
MANAGEMENT (WGU C232) REAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
EXPLANATIONS
Performance appraisals are important for both measuring and monitoring an employee's
contribution, but they are also often the basis for deciding what?
Whether or not to implement certain retention strategies
Whether or not to change the management system
Whether or not to give promotions
Whether or not to implement certain HR strategies
Whether or not to give promotions
Performance appraisals are frequently the basis for promotions, trainings and raises, as well
as terminating employees. As such, it is critically important that they accurately reflect the
performance of employees.
When working to improve the organization's quality of work life, it is important to look at
which part of the organization?
The compensation packages offered by competitors throughout the world
The product materials in manufacturing
The physical health environment at work
The bonuses paid to the CEO
The physical health environment at work
When working to improve the organization's quality of work life, it is important to look at
both the physical health and the safety environment of the organization as well as the
psychological aspects. While in the past, the primary health and safety focus was on the
physical work environment, a growing concern now exists about the psychological work
Page | 1
,environment. Many firms realize that their strategic and competitive advantage is directly
impacted when the work environment of employees is poor.
Which of the following is NOT a function of Human Resource Management?
Planning HR needs
Staffing the organization's needs
Appraising client behavior
Compensating and motivating employees
Appraising client behavior
Human resource management is responsible for the recruitment, selection, training, and
motivation of the organization's employees. Human resource management (or HRM) is
therefore concerned with the fundamental task of defining and analyzing jobs in
organizations. Other HR tasks include:
Planning human resource needs within the organization
Staffing the organization's needs (once those needs have been identified)
Compensating and motivating employees
Appraising employee behavior and providing effective and constructive feedback
Enhancing the human potential within the firm
Improving the workplace environment and using the human resource capital within the
organization to reach strategic goals
Maintaining effective work relationships
Globalizing the human resource management function within the firm
True or False: HR policies must work in compliance with the organization's overall strategy?
Page | 2
,True
In order to help the firm achieve its organizational and strategic goals, human resource (HR)
policies and practices must be congruent with the organization's overall strategy
What is an example of indirect compensation when it comes to rewards that are given to
employees?
Rewards that are only given to managers or above
Rewards that are given for simply being a part of the organization
Rewards that are given for employee of the month
Rewards that are linked to the performance on the job
Rewards that are given for simply being a part of the organization
Compensation that is given simply for being a member of the organization is often referred to
as indirect compensation. Once employees are on the job, it becomes necessary to determine
how well they are doing and to reward them accordingly. Although rewards based on
performance can increase an employee's motivation to perform, other forms of compensation
are given simply for being a member of the organization. Those rewards that are directly
linked to performance on the job are often referred to as direct compensation.
HR functions are important because they serve to attract employees (an explicit objective).
HR also has a few implicit objectives. Which of the following is an implicit HR objective?
Improvement of wages
Improvement in retaining individuals
Improvement in developing individuals
Improvement of productivity
Improvement of productivity
HR functions and activities are important largely because they serve to attract, retain, and
motivate employees. However, it is also widely acknowledged that by doing an effective job
Page | 3
, in realizing these explicit objectives, HR functions and activities can positively affect the
bottom line. Conversely, a poor selection of an employee or a poorly designed program to
maintain employee motivation renders the employee unsatisfied, and performance suffers.
There are three implicit HR objectives: improvement of productivity, improvement of quality
work life, and ensuring legal compliance.
Which position in the organization determines how important human resource management
will be to that organization?
Front-line workers
Top management
Supervisors
Middle managers
Top management
Top management often determines how important HRM will be within the organization. If
top management minimizes the importance of people and the HR department to the
organization's overall success, line managers and others will do likewise. As a result, those in
the HR department will likely only perform the most routine activities and resort to
responding in a "reactive" manner to needs, rather than making "proactive" contributions. On
the other hand, when top management relies on HR to make strategies and other important
decisions, others will follow, allowing HR the opportunity to contribute and help achieve
organizational goals. As the world has become increasingly complex, managers and others
have come to realize the important and critical role of HR.
In the early 1900s, what was Human Resources primarily concerned with?
Distributing paychecks and working with unions
Being a strategic partner
Engaging in training and development
Being a protector
Page | 4
