MG106: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Course Introduction and Assessment

Semester 2, 2021

School of Business and Management

The University of the South Pacific
Assignment 1
Due date Friday 10th September 2021 (end of
Marks week 4)
Value 15%
Coverage Units 1 to 5 of the course book and corresponding textbook
readings
Format Essay

Answer any three of the five questions given in this assignment. Approximate
length (exclusive of references and appendices) for each question should be
roughly one page, which is approximately 350–400 words.

Where possible, support your discussion for each question with hypothetical or
real- life examples. Each question is worth five marks.

Question 1
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest
human resource management association. It provides education and information
services, conferences and seminars, government and media representation, and
online services and publications.
List and briefly describe any five categories of human resource management
(HRM) competencies that the SHRM found to be associated with organisational
success. Provide an example of a behaviour for each.

Question 2
Organisational merging, downsizing, and reengineering can radically change the
structure of an organization. Choose any two of these structural changes and
describe HRM's role in making the change succeed. Where possible, apply your
discussion to an actual merger, downsizing, or reengineering effort that has
recently occurred in organizations you are familiar with.

Question 3
The protection of employee safety and health is regulated by the various
governments through their respective Occupational Safety and Health Act?
(OSHA).
With appropriate examples, discuss the basic duties under the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of a country of your choice. Furthermore, explain how
organisations could motivate employees to promote safety and health at their
workplace.

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Question 4
Besides downsizing, discuss three other strategies local retailers could implement
to address labour surplus in light of a temporary decline of sales at their major
outlets. Discuss the disadvantages of your chosen strategies.

Question 5
Suppose you are a human resource executive for a hospital. Explain three
characteristics you would look for in your recruiters to increase the positive impact
on job candidates.

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Assignment 2
Due date Friday 05th November (end of week 11)
Marks 15%
Value Units 6 to10 of the course book and corresponding textbook
readings
Coverage
Essay
Format

Answer any three of the five questions in this assignment. Approximate length
(exclusive of references and appendices) for each question should be roughly one
page, which is approximately 350 – 400 words.

Where possible, support your discussion with hypothetical or real-life examples.

Each question is worth five marks

Question 1

During interviews for medical assistants at the Bayview Medical Center (BMC),
all the candidates are asked to talk about a situation when they empathize with an
emotionally unstable person and help that person make rational decisions. This was
to test whether the candidates would assist a frantic patient and help them make
informed decisions.

Identify the type of interview BMC had used in the above situation and discuss its
advantages and disadvantages. Briefly describe a different kind of interview BMC
could use in the above case.

Question 2

Managerial support to training is essential to organisational success. With relevant

examples, briefly explain any five ways managers could support employee training
in an organisation of your choice.

Question 3

An effective performance management system informs top performers of their

value, encourages communication between managers and their employees,
establishes consistent standards for evaluating employees, and helps the
organisation identify its most influential and weakest employees. To meet these
objectives, companies must think of effective performance management as a
process, not an event.

Besides giving employees feedback, explain other strategies managers can

implement to improve employees' performance?

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Question 4

Timothy allowed his employees to picket at the company's manufacturing plant

because he believed such actions would not hamper the facility's productivity.
Zara, his assistant manager, argued that Timothy's approach to a possible strike
was a poor and risky strategy.

Because of the costs and threats involved in picketing, identify and discuss any
three forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms learned in the course and
explain their benefits over the traditional forms of work stoppages such as
picketing.

Question 5

Suppose you are a human resource professional at a company setting up work

teams for production and sales. Explain at least four legal requirements which need
to be embedded in your pay structure to support this new work arrangement.

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 MG 106 Assignments 1 and 2 Marking Rubric

Criteria/ Mar 1 2 3
Arg me t / tr ct re The pu pose and ocus o riting is unclear. ey arguments are communicated adequately. ey argument are ell elucidated and ju tified.
a Co te t A guments a e unconvincing or unformed, lack logic, or Evidence, reasoning and analysis are evident and Evidence, rea oning and analy i are ell developed
p oceed by asse tion. linked to the argument. and linked to the argument
Un elated ideas o ph ases are linked to dra causal
in e ences.
t uctu e does not demo strate understanding of the tructure suggests a reasonably cohe ent under tanding The rationale for the tructure i explicit and link
p oblem o esea ch question. Introduction or conclusions of the problem or research question. ore could have bet een ection are clear and logical.
[3 marks]
a e unclea . Conclusions do not follo from the analysis. been done to explain its logic and rationale, and provide Introduction provide compelling framing of analy i
Little o no evidence o critical thinking, analysis or links bet een sections. and clear tatement of contribution. Conclu ion
p esentation o evidence Introduction provides reasonable rationale; and outline follo from the analy i . Synthe e and contra t idea
arguments and contribution. and excellent u e of critical thinking.
Conclusions largely follo from the analy i . Evidence, rea oning and analy i are ell pre ented
ome or good evidence of synthe i and critical and developed. Sho evidence of originality
thinking. Evidence, reasoning and analy i are evident
Orga i atio a .5 1 1.5
Pre e tatio
Wo d use is unclea and incorrect. Word usage is generally correct. Word u age i correct
entence and pa ag aph st ucture lacks clarity. entence and paragraph structure is effective in evelop conci e and clear entence .
[1.5 marks] Malap opisms and p etentious language are used. communicating to the reader. e paragraph ell.
Majo g ammatical e o s e or minor grammatical errors. Writing flo and engage .
o or very minor error
Re earc a .2 0.25 0.5
Refere ci g
No o little evidence o inde endent academic research. ood evidence of independent research, including u e Exten ive independent re earch u ing academic and
W iting simply ollows lectures, uses only non-academic of library databases and academic and non-academic non-academic ource , including refereed journal and
[0.5 marks] sou ces, o is un o med opinion sources, including refereed journals and book . book .
Evidence of some synthesis of idea , re earch and Excellent ynthe i and critique of idea re earch and
sources, but not systematic and tending to de criptive ource .
rather than critical. Evidence of independent primary re earch
No e e ences o does not u e arvard referencing style. arvard referencing style is used, ith only minor arvard referencing tyle i u ed ith no or very minor
Uses Ha va d highly inconsistently or incorrectly. errors. error .
Quotes lack quotation ma k and page numbers. uotes are mostly referenced correctly. uote are referenced correctly.
deas a e not e e enced Ideas are mostly referenced correctly. Idea are referenced correctly

24
Past Test Paper
You are given the following past test paper to help you to prepare for your test.
However, remember that the test paper that you will take this semester may not
follow exactly the same structure, format or content as this one.

The University of the South Pacific

Faculty of Business and Economics
School of Management and Public Administration
MG 106F2F and Blended Modes
Mid Semester Test, Semester 1, 2020

Time Allowed: One hour and 10 minutes

Instructions
1. Write down your names, ID number and other relevant details on the Answer
Sheet provided.

2. This paper comprises of 40 compulsory multiple choice type questions.

3. All answers should be written on the Answer Sheet provided.

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For each question, circle the letter that represents the best answer in your Answer Sheet.
[20 marks]

1. Cost U Less’s outlet employed a significant number of employees in its

supermarket last year. Instead of hiring new employees, the company decided to
invest heavily in its training expenditure to improve the performance level of its
existing employees. Which one of the following beliefs has led the company to
make this decision?

A. The employees in the company are interchangeable.

B. The employees are the source of the company's success or failure.
C. The unionised employees in the company will resign once their contract
expires.
D. A majority of the employees own shares in the company.

2. Modern companies are doing away with their human resource departments
because they
A. prefer to have vertical organisational structures within the system.
B. wants to establish a centralised decision-making system.
C. need more narrowly defined jobs due to greater concern for innovation and
quality.
D. wants to encourage departmental managers and employees to handle HR issues
as they arise.
3. Nicks works at Gem Computers limited. He is responsible for identifying
applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
to enable organisations to achieve their goals. Which one of the following human
resource management practices is being performed by Nicks?
A. Performance management
B. Employee relations
C. Selection
D. Training

4. Elliot is a human resource manager at Harris Motors. He understands the values,

beliefs, convictions, vision, and mission of the company. He also enhances and
modifies these aspects by understanding their significance. This scenario indicates
that Elliot is a _____.
A. cultural and change steward
B. credible activist
C. strategic architect
D. business ally

5. Identify the true statement about human resources from the following list?
A. Human resources can be imitated.
B. Human resources are commonly found.
C. Human resources have no good substitutes.
D. Human resources seldom perform critical functions.

6. Sasha heads the human resource team at Ensured Corp., a marketing firm with a
diverse group of employees in three countries. She knows about the cultures of
the employees and applies that knowledge to build cooperation and resolve
conflicts. She appreciates that all her employees bring different strengths to the
company, and she helps to foster a climate in which all are encouraged to
contribute. This scenario illustrates Sasha's competency in the area of
A. ethical practice.
B. critical evaluation.
C. business acumen.
D. global and cultural effectiveness

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7. Identify the correct statement about the HR responsibilities of supervisors in the
modern-day organisation.
A. Supervisors do not interview job candidates.
B. In large organizations, all HR activities are carried out by supervisors.
C. Supervisors do not need to be familiar with the basics of HRM.
D. Supervisors typically perform responsibilities related to all the HR functions

8. A standard that human resource managers must satisfy for its practices to be
ethical is
A. Managers must treat employees like family.
B. Human resource practices must result in the greatest good for the largest
number of people.
C. Employment practices must respect employees' right to lifetime employment.
D. Managers must always maintain that customers are right.

9. Which one of the following statements explains a principle that guides how ethical
companies act?
A. short-change customers and vendors
B. perform only in ways that benefit the company
C. have a sense of purpose or vision that employee’s value and use
D. only permit top management to take responsibility for the company

10. Which of the following is defined as a systematic, planned effort to attract, retain,
develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers?
A. Workflow analysis
B. Job analysis
C. Conjoint analysis
D.Talent management

11. What would be the impact of an ageing labour force trend on the functioning of
human resource management?
A. Organizations must recruit from a diverse population
B. Organisations should establish bias-free HR systems
C. Organisations should help employees understand and appreciate cultural
differences
D. Organizations must be flexible enough to meet the needs of older workers,
possibly redesigning jobs

12. Which one of the following statements about HRM is incorrect on organisations
deciding to operate facilities in other countries?
A. Organizations with international operations hire employees in foreign countries
with knowledge of differences in culture and business practices.
B. Organizations must be able to select and prepare employees for overseas
assignments
C. Organisations should develop, support, and train expatriates for overseas
assignments.
D. Unwillingness to adapt menus to the local taste and ignore developing local
management talent.

13. A downside of flexible work schedules would be

A. having an option to be nimble with staffing needs by having a temporary or
contract worker only when needed.
B. Flexible work schedules reduce payroll and benefit costs
C. not having employees with specific skills available at all times
D. Flexible work schedule allows hiring people as needed with special skills and
abilities.
14. Which one of the following statements explains the limitation of a self-service
HRM function?
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 A. losing the individualised contact with the HR professional
B. employees have online access to information about HR issues
C. ability to go online to enrol themselves in programs and services
D. enabling employees to provide feedback through online surveys

15. Fred is the project manager at Pacific Airways. He provides his team members
with complete authority to execute their tasks independently. Fred encourages his
team members to conduct brainstorming sessions before initiating new strategies
to deliver positive results to the company’s customers. This scenario indicates that
Fred promotes
A. centralised decision making
B. downsizing
C. outsourcing
D. employee empowerment

16. Two multinational companies of Lees Breakfast Crackers and Kit Kat Food
Wahoo had recently joined forces to become one entity. Such strategies in
business contexts are referred to as
A. an acquisition
B. a merger
C. a takeover
D. a joint venture

17. Xeon Industries, a maker of chocolate products in the USA, assigns all its
packaging and labelling functions to First Choice Enterprises based in China.
Which HRM practice is Xeon Industries using in this scenario?
A. outsourcing
B. reengineering
C. downsizing
D. benchmarking
18. The management of Jacob Creek Limited expects its employees to be enthusiastic
about their work by seeking training, putting in long hours of work, initiating
better work procedures, and maintaining a sound balance between professional
and personal life. In return, the firm's employees expect management to arrange
for better incentives, flexible work schedules, and increased authority to execute
their tasks. This scenario is a (n) example of a (n) _____.
A. employee contract
B. offer letter
C. legal agreement
D. psychological contract

19. The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and
contract company workers, collectively constitutes:
A. outsourcing.
B. alternative work arrangements.
C. consolidation.
D. high-performance work systems.

20. Kelton Inc. produces large quantities of products for their customers within tight
deadlines. However, customers are not satisfied with the products produced by
Kelton. Which of the following statement best explains customers' dissatisfaction
with Kelton?
A. Kelton's methods are designed to meet the needs of only internal customers.
B. Kelton focuses on detecting and correcting errors rather than preventing them
from occurring.
C. Kelton does not adhere to quality standards.
D. Kelton collaborates with other companies for product development and
enhancement
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21. Which of the following statement is incorrect on the employer’s role in promoting
workplace safety issues?
A. employers often establish safety awareness programs designed to instil safety
emphasis
B. employers may adapt communication and training to meet the needs of different
employees
C. employers may comply with national occupational health and safety regulations
D. none of the above statements are incorrect.

22. Which one of the following would be the best strategy to minimise sexual
harassment at the workplace?
A. ignore developing policies that define or forbids harassment
B. disregard training of employees to recognise and avoid harassment behaviours
C. bypasses disciplinary procedures on those who engage in minor sexual
harassment activities.
D. developing a strict mechanism for reporting sexual harassment that encourages
people to speak out

23. Which of the following scenarios would violate the age discrimination policy of
an Employment Act in your country?
A. older employees are permitted to work even after attaining the retirement age.
B. employees over the age of 40 are asked to retire as part of a company's
downsizing program.
C. an employee is denied employment because he is a minor.
D. older workers in an organisation are better compensated than the younger
workers.

24. A situation where individuals are promised a positive outcome for submission to
sex, or threatened with a negative outcome for failure to submit to sex is known
as
A. disparate impact
B. reverse discrimination
C. hostile working environment
D. quid pro quo harassment

25. An advantage of applying statistical forecasting methods in a HR planning process

would be that:
A. they are particularly useful in dynamic environments.
B. under the right conditions, they provide predictions that are much more precise
than judgmental methods.
C. they are particularly useful in predicting important events that have no
historical precedent.
D. they are invariably better than the "best guesses" of experts.

26. The purpose of a plan in human resource planning context is to:

A. reduce the hiring of workers from colleges and universities.
B. increase in hiring costs to match industry standards.
C. avoid taking risks.
D. gain an advantage over competitors.

27. Jerry, a manager at a supermarket chain, is expecting increased sales during the
upcoming holiday season. He knows that he will experience a labour shortage
during this time. Which of the following options is most suitable for Jerry to adopt
to avoid a labour shortage?

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 A. Jerry must hire new employees because he will most likely need additional
workers after the holiday season to deal with the increased sales trend.
B. Jerry must consider increasing workers' pay during the holiday season so that
his employees work harder to achieve sales targets.
C. Jerry must keep his store closed during non-peak hours to compensate for
labour shortages.
D. Jerry must hire temporary employees because he can let them go once the
holiday season is over.

28. Shia, a new HR manager at BSP Inc., aims to understand the proportion of
employees in the finance department to decide if the company needs to hire new
employees. Shia most likely needs to use a (n) _____ to achieve her objective.
A. electronic recruiting process
B. transitional matrix
C. propensity analysis
D. due-process policy
29. Sahuri, a supervisor at Namaste Mate Inc., realises that a couple of months from
now, he might experience a labour shortage for approximately two weeks due to
increased demand for the company's products. Which of the following is the ideal
option for dealing with this labour shortage?

A. He should hire new employees because it is a simple process.

B. He should depend on major technological innovation
C. He should use outsourcing because it reduces internal costs.
D. He should encourage employee overtime

30. In the context of managing human resources, the process of ________ creates a
buffer between planning and the actual selection of new employees.
A. recruitment
B. evaluation
C. induction
D. training

31. Arana, the CEO of Makoi Inc., finds that the company needs to eliminate labour
surplus to avoid financial difficulties. To deal with this problem, he chooses a
strategy that gives him fast results. However, the amount of suffering caused to
employees is high. Arana is most likely using the _____ strategy to reduce the
labour surplus.

A. early retirement
B. downsizing
C. natural attrition
D. retraining

32. Which aspect of recruitment is most likely to affect the nature of the vacant
positions?
A. recruitment sources
B. personnel policies
C. recruiter traits
D. recruiter behaviour

33. Bayou applies for a job at Carpenters Inc. because his friend Mannu, who is a
manager there, prompts him to do so. In this scenario, Bayou is a (n)
A. direct applicant
B. natural applicant
C. neutral applicant
D. referral

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34. Sami intends to approach BBC Inc. to fill a vacant position they have in the
organisation. She conducts a background check to find the merits and limitations
of the vacancy. In the context of the behaviour of the recruiter, Sami is checking
the
A. yield ratio
B. realistic job preview
C. core competency
D. due-process policy

35. The most important source of recruits for entry-level professional and managerial
vacancies is:
A. on-campus interviewing.
B. public employment agencies.
C. newspapers and magazine advertisements.
D. private employment agencies.

36. Which one of the following situations explains a case of a permanent involuntary
turnover?
A. Jiu, an employee at Dot Print, is suspended for a week because of workplace
violence
B. Natasha, a supervisor at JBX Inc., decides to leave her job because she is
moving to another country
C. Hector, a manager at Euro Care Co., resigns from his job because he has a better
job offer from another company
D. Gisele, an employee at Future Tech Inc., is terminated because of negligence
of duties.

Use the following information to answer questions 37 to 40 on the following page.

37. How can organisations promote or improve job satisfaction to prevent job
withdrawal?
A. make goals easier to obtain.
B. make jobs smaller.
C. add additional layers to the job hierarchy.
D. makes jobs more complex.

38. Low job involvement and organizational commitment are

A. essentially the same thing
B. examples of psychological withdrawal
C. examples of physical withdrawal that are related to job dissatisfaction
D. examples of behaviour change
 39. From the four factors that influence an employee’s job dissatisfaction, which of
these would be the most expensive to change?
A. personal disposition
B. tasks and roles
C. supervisors and co-workers
D. pays and benefits.

40. Personal disposition traits as a cause of job dissatisfaction are best explained by

A. a set of behaviours that people expect of a person in a particular job

B. the bottom-line opinions individual has of themselves which can be negative or
positive
C. the degrees to which people identify themselves with their jobs
D. a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception of one’s career fulfils.

The End
Submit your Answer Sheet to your supervisor before leaving the examination hall.

32
Past Examination Paper
You are given the following past examination paper to help you to prepare for
your final examination. However, remember that the examination paper that you
will take this semester may not follow exactly the same structure, format or
content as this one.

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Faculty of Business and Economics
School of Management and Public Administration

Final Examination Paper

Semester 2, 2020 (Print Mode)

MG 106: Introduction to Human Resource

Management

Time Allowed: 3 hours & 10 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. There are three sections in this paper. Section A is compulsory.
Note choices in sections B and C of the paper.

2. All questions are to be answered in the Answer Book provided.

3. This examination constitutes 50% towards your final course

grade, and the minimum pass mark is 20/50.

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Section A
[20 marks]

For each question, write the letter that represents the best answer in your Answer
Book. All questions in this section are compulsory. Number your questions (1 –
40).

1. Ed, an entrepreneur, wants to hire a human resource professional who can help
him make decisions about who will or will not be allowed to join his
organization. What term should Ed use in his advertisement to describe the role
of the would be helper?
A. predictive validation
B. job analysis
C. concurrent validation
D. personnel selection

2. In most organizations, the first step in the personnel selection process is

A. verifying the applicants' qualifications through reference and background
checks.
B. negotiating with the employee regarding salary and benefits.
C. screening the applications to see which ones meet the basic requirements for
the job.
D. administering tests and reviewing work samples to rate the candidates'
abilities.

3. Along with 50 other candidates, Paula applied for the position of an analyst at
Atticus Inc. Because Paula's profile stood out from other candidates' profiles,
she was called for an interview in which she performed well. In the context of
the steps involved in the selection process for recruitment, which step would
most likely be taken next by the recruiter?
A. reviewing Paula's work samples
B. negotiating salary and benefits with Paula
C. verifying Paula's qualifications through background checks
D. sending Paula a job offer letter

4. Which action during the selection process would be illegal under the equal
employment opportunity laws?
A. asking candidates whether they can perform the essential functions of a job
B. asking all candidates whether they have ever worked under a different name
C. asking candidates how close they are to retirement age
D. asking all candidates which schools they have attended

5. Generally, an organization checks references

A. only if it believes the information provided by an applicant is incorrect.
B. immediately after an applicant submits a résumé.
C. after it has determined that an applicant is a finalist for a job.
D. because it is a legal requirement under equal employment opportunity laws.

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6. Which statement best describes the multiple-hurdle model of personnel
selection?
A. It is a process of selecting employees in which a very high score on one type
of assessment can make up for a low score on another.
B. It is a process of arriving at a selection decision by eliminating some
candidates at each stage of the selection process.
C. It is a selection process in which several members of an organization form
a panel and interview each candidate.
D. It is a testing program that establishes different norms for hiring members
of different racial groups.

7. _________ refers to a process of systematically developing training to meet

specified needs.
A. Role-play
B. Recruitment
C. Simulation
D. Instructional design

8. Which of the following best describes needs assessment?

A. the process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and
employees' tasks to determine what kinds of training are necessary
B. a combination of employee characteristics and positive work environment
that permit training
C. a process that evaluates the monetary needs of employees that will motivate
them to undertake a training program
D. an application that automates the administration and delivery of a company's
training program

9. Managers are most likely to support training if

A. there are no other solutions available for them to try.
B. it is not overly expensive.
C. it will solve a significant problem.
D. they do not have to participate in it

10. Which term refers to a combination of employee characteristics and positive

work environment that permit training?
A. organization analysis
B. benchmarking
C. learning management system
D. readiness for training

11. Which one of the following best describes a characteristic of effective training
objectives?
A. disclaimers to prevent exaggerated expectations
B. specified costs associated with the training
C. specified methods of performance evaluation
D. measurable performance standards

12. Which statement is true of effective performance management?

A. It can tell top performers they are valued.
B. It can evaluate employees without establishing standards.
C. It averts communication between managers and their employees.
D. It uses just one person as a source of information.
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13. The ways in which organizations use the system to provide information for
day-to-day decisions about salary, benefits, and recognition programs fall
under the ________ purpose of a performance management system.
A. structured
B. developmental
C. strategic
D. administrative

14. Which of the following helps performance management meet the goals of
supporting strategy and developing employees?
A. strategic fit
B. specific feedback
C. overall opinion
D. employee orientation

15. The ________ performance management method requires managers to rate the
frequency with which an employee has exhibited a behaviour during a rating
period.
A. behaviourally anchored rating scale
B. behavioural observation scale
C. graphic rating scale
D. mixed-standard scale

16. Cameron, a supervisor at Margolia Co., needs to appraise the performance of

her subordinate, Stefan. In the context of performance information, what is the
least biased source of information for appraisal and why?
A. Peers because they often understand an employee better than superiors.
B. Managers, because their success depends on the employee's productivity.
C. Customers because employees are often directly in contact with them.
D.Subordinates because the power relationships motivate a subordinate to
provide unbiased information.

17. Keith, a human resource manager at Uno Inc., is considering the use of self-
appraisals. Which statement is TRUE about self-appraisals?
A. There are no disagreements between a manager and an employee when self-
appraisal is used.
B. Self-rating is the most preferred source of performance appraisal
information.
C. Employees tend to inflate their self-assessments.
D. Self-appraisals are necessary for a 360-degree performance appraisal.

18. Vroom Motors, an automobile company, ties individual performance, profits,

and other measures of employees' success to a particular form of pay. This form
of pay is influential because the amount paid is linked to certain predefined
behaviours or outcomes. What pay structure is exemplified in this scenario?
A. minimum wage
B. overtime pay C.
incentive pay D.
piecework rates

19. BSP Life, an insurance company, defines the difference in pay between an
entry-level recruiter and an entry-level assembler, as well as the difference
36
 between an entry-level recruiter, the HR manager, and the organization's Vice
President. Which of the following is being exemplified in this scenario?
A. straight piecework plan
B. job structure
C. merit pay system
D. pay differential

20. Which of the following statements is true of equal employment opportunity

laws?
A. These laws guarantee equal pay for whites and minorities.
B. The goal of these laws is for employers to provide equal pay for equal work.
C. Job descriptions and job structures cannot help organizations demonstrate
that they are upholding these laws.
D. These laws guarantee equal pay for men and women.

21. Which of the following statements is true about a product market?

A. The cost of labour does not affect the product market because it is an
insignificant part of an organization's costs.
B. Product-market considerations are of particular concern to a company when
its customers place greater importance on product rather than price.
C. Organizations in a product market are competing to serve the same
customers.
D. Product markets typically place a lower limit on the pay an organization
will offer its employees.

22. Investment Inc., a manufacturing company, believes that pay is an investment

that can generate returns in attracting, retaining, and motivating a high-quality
workforce. In this case, which of the following statements is true about
Investment Inc.?
A. it considers its employees as resources.
B. it gives the least importance to profits.
C. it is a customer-friendly firm.
D. it tries to keep its labour costs minimal.

23. McDonald’s, a multinational fast-food chain, believes that employees must be

paid above the average market rate. The company aims to provide good
customer service and to increase its sales. In this case, which of the following
is most likely the reaction of employees working at McDonald’s
A. The employees will be motivated to work hard.
B. The employees will put less effort at work.
C. The employees will find their jobs less challenging.
D. The employees will find a way to increase their outcomes by stealing.

24. Which of the following statements is true of compensable factors?

A. they are generally statistically derived.
B. they are the characteristics of a job that firm values and chooses to pay for.
C. they refer to the factors that are important for setting the two-tier wage
system.
D. they describe all aspects of the jobs being evaluated.

37
25. Antonio, is a new supervisor at Fresh Food Limited. He is being trained on
skills that managers and union leaders require to encourage employee-
management cooperation. Antonio is learning the different ways of dealing
with employee-management conflicts and how to resolve situations in ways
that benefit both parties. In the context of labour management, Antonio is
receiving training on
A. checkoff provisions.
B. right-to-work laws.
C. maintenance of membership.
D. labour relations

26. Identify the statement that characterizes an industrial union.

A. All the members are in the same occupation.
B. Union leaders try to limit the number of members to maintain high wages.
C. Members are linked by their work in a particular industry.
D. Members change employers more frequently than in other types of unions.

27. An employer's exclusion of workers from a workplace until they meet certain
conditions is known as a
A. strike.
B. lockout.
C. mediation.
D. picket line.

28. Lyla, a neutral third party, tries to resolve a conflict initiated by a manager and
union representative at Housing Authority. She does so by listening to what
both parties have to say about the issue and facilitating the negotiations. In this
scenario, Lyla is exercising which type of alternative to work stoppages?
A. mediation
B. final-offer arbitration
C. fact-finder technique
D. conventional arbitration
29. Hal Brown, a manager at Home Finance Limited (HFL), believes that the
formation of a union in a company can help workers hold their employers
accountable for the way they treat them. In the context of different types of
goals that affect labour unions, Brown is referring to _____ goals.
A. management
B. union
C. industrial
D. societal

30. International assignments are especially beneficial to the organization if they

are linked to the company's
A. labour relations.
B. outsourcing programs.
C. training methods.
D. development programs.

31. ________ refers to training employees on overseas work assignments to work

through national and cultural boundaries.
A. Adventure learning
B. Experiential learning
C. Validation
38
 D. Cross-cultural preparation

32. Which of the following term accurately describes an individual who was born
in Fiji and is currently working in Samoa for a company headquartered in
Vanuatu?
A. parent-country national
B. host-country national
C. third-country national
D. home-country national

33. What is the most likely reason for hiring host-country nationals to fill most of
a company's foreign positions?
A. They are familiar with the parent-country's customs.
B. They can easily understand the values of the local workforce.
C. They cost more to train, showing the company invests in its workers.
D. The company will not be required to transport the employee's spouse.

34. Which description best defines a multinational company?

A. an organization that builds facilities within the same country to facilitate
large-scale exports to various countries
B. an organization that builds facilities in several countries to minimize
production and distribution costs
C. an organization that sets up one or a few facilities in one or a few foreign
countries
D. an organization that operates from one country and has customers from all
over the globe
35. Which one of the following is true about ‘managerialism’ as a component of
New Public Management?
A. an emphasis on administration over management
B. tenure employment over flexibility
C. work restructuring
D. centralization of authority

36. The primary rationale for undertaking public sector reform programs is for
A. adaptation of efficiency and cost-saving principles from the private sector
B. adaptation of model employer obligation within the public service
C. to so with a rise of job insecurity within the public service
D. adaptation of centralised administration

37. Exposing public sector services to market competition in the form of

contracting – out and offshoring of services is known as
A. work intensification
B. outsourcing
C. privatisation
D. unionisation

38. Which one of the following is NOT a feature of selection processes in the
traditional public sector model?
A. under-qualified and inexperienced personnel get recruited to senior
positions
B. widespread use of backdoor policy in selection decisions
C. absence of transparent feedback system in civil service

39
 D. recruitment and selection procedures are confined to middle and senior
management level

39. Which one of the following statement is true about training and development
function in the traditional public sector model?
A. lack of investment initiative in training civil servants
B. training needs are thoroughly implemented
C. availability of experts to carry out in-house training
D. through cost and benefit analysis performed to evaluate training
programs

40. For the trade union perspectives, the major shortcoming of public sector
restructuring involves
A. adaptation of the decentralised form of public administration
B. adaptation of efficiency and cost saving principles from the private sector
C. inculcating model employer principles within the public service
D. restructuring causes massive job losses and breeds in insecurity amongst
members

40
Section B Short Answer Questions
[20 marks]

Write approximately 200 - 250 words [approximately ¾ of a page] each to answer

any five questions from this section. You may use diagrams, flowcharts, bullet
points etc. to help elaborate your answers.

Question 1

A student in your peer mentoring class asks to explain the difference between a
non-directive, structured and panel interviewing techniques. With relevant
examples, explain your response to the student.

Question 2

With relevant examples, discuss any four ways managers could undertake to
support employee training in an organisation of your choice.

Question 3

In performance management terms, discuss some corrective actions managers

could take for employees who lack both ability and motivation in accomplishing
their organisational goals.

Question 4

Apart from the pay cut, discuss three other strategies your organisation could
implement to minimise its rising labour cost in light of the current pandemic
situation.

Question 5

Recently the Minister of employment and labour relations made the following
statement in the newspaper ‘…the decision made by the arbitrator is binding while
for a mediator it is non- binding. ..’ in referring to the potential solution of the
dispute between Airports of Fiji Limited and the staff union.

Explain the difference between binding and non- binding decisions regarding
dispute resolution mechanisms in the above context.

Question 6

Briefly elaborate on the challenges that companies face when compensating

employees from other countries.

41
Section C
Essay Type Questions
[10 marks]

Write approximately 300 – 350 words [2 - 2½ pages] to answer any one question
from this section. Each question is worth ten marks.

Question 1

“Mary!” shouted David to the company’s HR specialist. “I have got a problem, and
you need to solve it”. I can’t get people in this plant to work together as a team. As
if I don’t have enough trouble with our competitors and with our past -due
accounts. Now I have to put up a running zoo. You are responsible for seeing that
the staff gets along. I want a training proposal on my desk next week.”

Assume you are Mary, and you have decided to implement an e-learning training
program in your training proposal to David. In the context of organisational
training, discuss the concept of e-learning and explain its advantages and
disadvantages. How would you implement your training program after David has
approved your proposal? Provide examples to support your discussions.

Question 2

The Fantasy Textiles staff Union (FTU) are concerned on the management’s
decision in failing to pay their overdue commission which had accumulated over
the years. The union reps have decided to voice their concerns and speak up for
their rights. All the previous attempts to meet the management of Fantasy Textile
Limited had failed, so the FTU has finally decided to seek alternative means such
as striking to make its demand met.

Assume that you have been requested by the ministry of labor to intervene and
resolve the prolonged dispute between Fantasy Textile Limited and FTU. In an
essay format, prepare a ministerial report on strategies to resolve the exiting
standoff, paying particular attention to the following issues in your presentation:

the economic implications of prolonged conflict to Fantasy Textile Limited and

FTU
potential third party strategies at your disposal to resolve such conflicts

Use relevant local/international examples or case studies to support your rationale.

The End
42
Code of Academic Honesty: Assignment 1
As a student, I agree to uphold the rules and regulations of The University of the
South Pacific (USP). In pledging my agreement to this Code of Academic
Honesty, I will strive to uphold the highest standards of academic excellence in
accordance with the core values of integrity, honesty and ethics. In so doing, I
embrace my position within the university community and will strive to embody
USP values. Specifically, by signing this statement;

I declare that I have read and understood the USP Academic Honesty Policy and;
I agree to abide fully by the USP Academic Honesty Policy, and accept full
responsibility should it be deemed that I have violated this policy.

Course: ....................................................................................................................
Assessment: .............................................................................................................
Name: ......................................................................................................................
ID number: ..............................................................................................................

Signature: ................................................................................................................
Date: ........................................................................................................................

Please note submission of this declaration is a requirement for all pieces of

written coursework assessment and marks may be withheld for failure to submit a
completed declaration.

43
44
Code of Academic Honesty: Assignment 2
As a student, I agree to uphold the rules and regulations of The University of the
South Pacific (USP). In pledging my agreement to this Code of Academic
Honesty, I will strive to uphold the highest standards of academic excellence in
accordance with the core values of integrity, honesty and ethics. In so doing, I
embrace my position within the university community and will strive to embody
USP values. Specifically, by signing this statement;

I declare that I have read and understood the USP Academic Honesty Policy and;
I agree to abide fully by the USP Academic Honesty Policy, and accept full
responsibility should it be deemed that I have violated this policy.

Course: ....................................................................................................................
Assessment: .............................................................................................................
Name: ......................................................................................................................
ID number: ..............................................................................................................

Signature: ................................................................................................................
Date: ........................................................................................................................

Please note submission of this declaration is a requirement for all pieces of

written coursework assessment and marks may be withheld for failure to submit a
completed declaration.

45