SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

SHRM SHRM-SCP Online Questions & Answers

• Question 481:

  What organizational change may result in decentralization of authority downward?

  A. growth
  B. divestiture
  C. mergers and acquisition
  D. offshoring
  A. growth

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  Decentralization occurs when daily operations and decision-making responsibilities are delegated by top management to middle, lower-level managers or employees. At the growth stage of organizational change where there is an increase in product orders, decentralization frees up top management to focus more on major decisions.

• Question 482:

  Historically, equity theory focused on ___________ justice.

  A. distributive
  B. procedural
  C. organizational
  D. relative
  A. distributive

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  Equity theory is a theory of motivation that suggests that employee motivation at work is driven largely by their sense of fairness. Employees create a mental ledger of the inputs and outcomes of their job and then use this ledger to compare the ratio of their inputs and outputs to others. Distributive justice occurs when employees believe that outcomes/rewards are equitable.

• Question 483:

  Employers are required to grant which of the following employees FMLA leave in addition to job restoration?

  A. A manager of a company with 25 employees and 15 outside sales representatives is soon to have a baby.
  B. An employee of a public agency intends to travel to Beirut with his grandmother who has in loco parentis rights.
  C. The CHRO of a conglomerate will be taking FMLA leave to care for his sick child.
  D. A HR Analyst of a 500-employee corporation has just adopted a 5-year-old girl.
  D. A HR Analyst of a 500-employee corporation has just adopted a 5-year-old girl.

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  FMLA requires employers with 50 or more employees to grant eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons. Option A does not meet the 50-employee requirement. Option B refers merely to travel arrangements. The CHRO can be denied reinstatement from leave based on the "key employee" exception. Option D is accurate as adoption is a protected form of FMLA leave.

• Question 484:

  Employees at the Fawn corporation are canvassing for the establishment of the __________ principle in the disciplinary procedure of the company. The employees state that the principle provides that employees should be treated fairly, given clear expectations, and provided an opportunity to defend themselves for a dischargeable offense.

  A. Distributive justice
  B. Due process
  C. Duty of good faith and fair dealing
  D. Dual representation
  B. Due process

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  In the employment context, due process involves two basic principles: that employees are entitled to know the nature of their alleged misconduct or poor performance, and that employees should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to those allegations before any decisions are made regarding imposition of discipline. In the U.S.A., public employees that have a property interest in their job are entitled to pre-termination due process as a matter of law. This typically comes into play when there is a disciplinary action taken against a government employee whose employment terms are spelled out in a contract, often negotiated by a union.

• Question 485:

  "My friend and I are both managers at different companies in an industry where employee wage growth seems to be out of control. Over lunch, my friend proposed that we could solve this problem by reaching out to other industry leaders to establish a more reasonable pay scale for our employees". This scenario may be subject to criminal investigation by the;

  A. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  B. Wage and Hour Division
  C. Department of Justice
  D. Securities and Exchange Commission
  C. Department of Justice

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  The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (collectively, the federal antitrust agencies) jointly enforce the U.S. antitrust laws, which apply to competition among firms to hire employees. Wage-fixing (the scenario above), and no-poaching agreements by companies are illegal, per U.S. antitrust laws.

• Question 486:

  A global manufacturing organization is dealing with a high level of attrition among machine operators as well as difficulty recruiting machine operators at a recently acquired factory. The HR director is attempting to address the issue. During exit interviews, multiple employees mention they are leaving to take higher- paying jobs at other companies in the area. The HR director of the factory in that country believes that the company needs to raise the salaries of the machine operators to address this. The HR director contacts the chief human resource officer (CHRO) to discuss the need for a salary adjustment. The CHRO is located in another country and has never been to the country where the factory is located. The CHRO reviews the most recent salary study for the region and indicates that the salaries the company is paying are competitive with other companies in the region. The CHRO also says that due to recent increases in operating expenses and declines in revenue, it would be financially irresponsible to provide raises.

  If the HR director does secure a salary raise for the machine operators, how should the HR director assess whether it is effective in dealing with the machine operator recruitment and retention problem?

  A. Conduct monthly pulse surveys with machine operators to gauge the overall morale of the machine operators.
  B. Compare machine operator turnover statistics in the year following the raise to the year before the raise.
  C. Conduct focus groups with machine operators to gauge their sentiments regarding the raise.
  D. Review time-to-fill statistics for all machinist vacancies both before and after the raise.
  B. Compare machine operator turnover statistics in the year following the raise to the year before the raise.

• Question 487:

  The Public Relations department of a retail organization is diverse-it is made up of employees who are dissimilar in their routines and their stages of life. Zion is a 23-year-old single parent of 2 boys who is working for minimum wage. John- Paul is 59 years old, has a wealthy inheritance and works only because he has extensive goals and feels a sense of accomplishment from work. Naomi is single, 48 years old and has few acquaintances or hobbies outside the office. HR have decided to attempt to apply Maslow's hierarchy of needs to motivate each of these individuals.

  HR would expect that Naomi is attempting to satisfy which need?

  A. social
  B. esteem
  C. physiological
  D. self-actualization
  A. social

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  Social needs - this level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs in the workplace deals with acceptance, friendship, love, and companionship. Remember Naomi has few acquaintances or hobbies outside the office.

• Question 488:

  A start-up company specializing in technology is acquired by a larger international organization located in a foreign country. Following the acquisition, a manager from the international company schedules a virtual social hour so employees on the manager's team can bond outside of work hours. During the virtual social hour, employees from the start-up experience difficulties understanding the international employees due to language barriers. An employee from the start-up writes an inappropriate comment making fun of how the international employees speak, intending to send it to a co-worker, but accidentally sends the message to the whole team. The manager reports the employee's behavior to an HR specialist, who documents the incident. A few weeks later, the HR specialist receives an email from the employee who sent the message indicating that the employee's manager is acting hostile toward the employee, and the employee's manager mentioned that the international company should never have acquired the start-up.

  How should the HR specialist address the manager's hostile behavior toward the employee?

  A. Request the employee provide specific documentation of the manager
  B. Explain to the employee that the manager's behavior is likely in response to the employee's inappropriate message.
  C. Advise offering the employee the opportunity to transfer to a different team.
  D. Suggest that the manager meet with the employee to address any perceived hostile behavior.
  D. Suggest that the manager meet with the employee to address any perceived hostile behavior.

• Question 489:

  The Valve firm has reviewed its exit interview data and concluded that the greater number of employees are leaving due to rigid vacation requirements. Which of the following can be built into the vacation leave program to enhance its flexibility?

  A. increase the number of vacation leave days
  B. decrease the advance notice period stipulation
  C. determine vacation leave schedules based on longevity with the firm
  D. switch from paper-based leave requests to virtual leave requests.
  B. decrease the advance notice period stipulation

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  Vacation leave is a voluntary leave program offered to employees. employees are usually expected to request for vacation leave from their managers. Where employees must request for vacation weeks or months in advance, may hinder an employee's ability to take time off for spur of the moment family reasons or other activities. A decrease in the advance notice period for vacation will give employees greater flexibility.

• Question 490:

  A company has grown into a midsize organization and has retained its legacy staff throughout the years. Hiring has increased introducing a new demographic landscape and disrupting employee morale. Which is the most effective solution for the HR director to recommend?

  A. Offer longer-tenured employees early retirement packages comparable with the market.
  B. Conduct a job analysis evaluating whether employees remain qualified for jobs.
  C. Evaluate training and development opportunities for employees with outdated skills.
  D. Establish an intergenerational mentoring program to increase collaboration.
  C. Evaluate training and development opportunities for employees with outdated skills.