HRM2604-EXAM.

HRM EXAM PREP OCT/NOV 2016 1) Organisations are faced with a large and growing number of dual-career couples. Identify and explain the personal and organisational problems that dual-career couples face.  Conflicting alternatives: Advancing a career often means moving in different geographical directions, resulting in crisis over whose career is more important.  Reluctance to approach the company: Dual career couples see their employers’ policies as rigid and are reluctant to discuss their problems with a boss.  Possibility of a no-career couple: as downsizing continues in SA an increasing number of couples are both retrenched within the same time period or sometimes with the same company  Family versus work: who take responsibility of kids when both parents have a career? Who stays at home when kids are sick, who does homework etc.  Lack of experience with conflict resolution: many couples lack the skills necessary to solve career-family crises.  Baby panic: This problem is inevitable faced by professional couples who postpone having children in their 20’s for the sake of their careers. 2) Discuss an effective programme that employers can institute to help dual-career couples with their problems. An effective programme will contain the following characteristics:  Dual-career audit  Special recruiting techniques  Revisions of transfer policies  Examination of nepotism policies  Assistance for dual-career couples 3) What are the possible causes of employee performance problems and what can employers do to remedy such problems? Causes:  Lack of skills  Lack of motivation  Lack of respect for riles  Personal problems Solution:  Proper analysis of the cause of the performance problem  Define expectations 4) What are the common rate errors:  Rater Bias- Error that occurs when a rater’s value or prejudice distorts the rating  Stereotyping- Making judgements about a group of people instead of openly identifying the features of the individual  Halo effect- rating a person high on all items because of performance in one area  Central tendency- occurs when employees are incorrectly rated near the average or middle of scale  Leniency- given and underserved high performance appraisal rating to an employee  Strictness- being unduly critical of an employees work performance  Recency effect- assigning a rating on the basis of the employees most recent performance rather than on long-term performance 5) The ten technicians in Thabo’s unit reflect a diverse group of South Africans. Four of them are Blacks, two are Whites, two are Coloureds, and two are from the Indian group. They all have a variety of IT-related skills and their combined years in the IT field add up to fifty years work experience. Identify and discuss the diversity dimensions as reflected in Thabo’s unit.  Primary/internal dimensions- human differences that are inborn & have a major impact on us (Age, gender, race, physical abilities, ethnicity)  Secondary/external dimensions- can be changed & modified through our lives (education, income, geographical location, marital status, religion, work experience  Organisational dimension- Issues such as management status, work location, department, division/unit, work connect etc. 6) How would you describe strategic training and development (T&D)? A more holistic and forward-looking approach to T&D that should help individuals anticipate what knowledge and skills will be required to achieve the organisations strategic objectives. 7) Some companies are reluctant to come to grips with the AIDS issue because of the fear and anxiety it provokes. Discuss the possible economic and morale costs of companies’ failure to deal with the AIDS issue.  Higher training & recruitment costs can be expected  People will want time off to attend funerals of family members & colleagues  People will require time off to care for sick family members  Productivity will decline because of time off, and employees will be less healthy, which will have a major impact on the medical schemes, requiring bigger financial contributions