Human Resource Management: Strategic and International Perspectives
Student Resources
Multiple Choice Quiz
1. What is institutional isomorphism?
- When most organisations within an industry or sector adopt practices similar to the highest performing organisation
- When an institution is isolated from others in their field
- When most organisations within an industry or sector do not know what is happening in rival organisations
- Making sure you are the change agent for adopting new practices
Answer:
a. When most organisations within an industry or sector adopt practices similar to the highest performing organisation
2. What does the chapter include in the not-for-profit sector?
- Charities, voluntary organisations but not public sector organisations
- Public sector organisations only
- All organisations that do not sell product
- Public and third sector organisations
Answer:
d. Public and third sector organisations
3. What is the third sector?
- Small and medium sized organisations
- Not-for-profit, charitable and voluntary organisations
- Run by Government bodies, publicly funded
- The third highest performing group of organisations in the UK
Answer:
b. Not-for-profit, charitable and voluntary organisations
4. Which statement below is true of the public sector?
- Usually under Government jurisdiction and funded by tax
- Run by private businesses
- Run by the public
- Usually have no budget
Answer:
a. Usually under Government jurisdiction and funded by tax
5. What is a service-user orientation?
- Ensuring that employees are the main focus, and are satisfied with their work
- A method of ensuring service users know what to expect
- Ensuring managers are satisfied with employees’ focus
- Ensuring the user is always the main focus, as well as their satisfaction
Answer:
d. Ensuring the user is always the main focus, as well as their satisfaction
6. What are the four key characteristics of HRM in the public sector (proposed by Farnham & Horton, 1996)?
- Strong motivation policy, authoritarian management style, standardised employment practices and collectivism
- Leader–member exchange, standardised employment practices, communism, aspiring to be ‘model’ employers of staff
- Paternalistic management style, standardised employment practices, collectivism and aspiring to be ‘model’ employers of staff
- Paternalistic management style, lack of standardised employment practices, collectivism and anarchy
Answer:
c. Paternalistic management style, standardised employment practices, collectivism and aspiring to be ‘model’ employers of staff
7. How many ‘agency mix’ models did Valverde et al. (2006) identify in their study of the extent of variation between HR roles among the 230 Spanish organisations that they collected data from?
- 4
- 8
- 5
- 7
Answer:
d. 7
8. Which of the following did Valverde et al. (2006) conclude that HR activity mix was more related to?
- Contextual variables
- Corporate choice
- Employee variables
- Leadership factors
Answer:
b. Corporate choice
9. In 1998 the Workplace Employment Relations Study found that job security guarantee is:
- High in both sectors
- Higher in the private sector
- Low in both sectors
- Lower in the private sector
Answer:
c. Low in both sectors
10. Which of the following is NOT a factor that those with HRM responsibility must consider when developing a culture or climate of service-user orientation?
- A clear, well-structured succession plan
- A well-articulated HR strategy to convey the direction
- Communication and training to reinforce the message
- Performance management and appraisal to realign and reinforce objectives and aims
Answer:
a. A clear, well-structured succession plan