41. Which of the following options for reducing an expected labor surplus has the benefit of being a relatively fast solution, but the disadvantage of being high in human suffering?
A. Downsizing
B. Retirement
C. Retraining
D. Work sharing
Downsizing is the planned elimination of large numbers of personnel designed to enhance organizational effectiveness.
42. Your company's primary concern is to reduce an expected labor surplus fast; its secondary concern is to minimize human suffering. The options that would best address the company's concerns (in the priority indicated) are:
A. layoffs and transfers.
B. transfers and work sharing.
C. retirement and retraining.
D. natural attrition and transfers.
The typical organizational response to a surplus of labor has been downsizing, which is fast but high in human suffering.
43. Forecasting indicates your company needs to reduce its white-collar workforce in order to avoid a labor surplus in the next three to five years. Consistent with the corporate culture it wants to maintain, your company places a higher priority on minimizing human suffering than on achieving the labor reduction quickly. The options that are most consistent with these priorities are:
A. demotions and transfers.
B. transfers and work sharing.
C. retirement and retraining.
D. natural attrition and transfers.
The typical organizational response to a surplus of labor has been downsizing, which is fast but high in human suffering.
44. A small company that manufactures special-order wood furniture has kept its employees busy on a 40-hour-a-week schedule for the past two years. The company just received the largest contract in its history from a Saudi company opening offices in the area. There is no expectation of repeat business from the Saudi company. In order to complete the contract in the required six months, additional skilled woodworking manpower is needed. Under these circumstances, to avoid an expected labor shortage, the best option would be:
A. overtime.
B. retrained transfers.
C. turnover reduction.
D. new external hires.
The second step in human resource planning is goal setting and strategic planning. The goals should come directly from the analysis of labor supply and demand and should include a specific figure for what should happen with the job category or skill area and a specific timetable for when results should be achieved.
45. Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labor shortage has the benefit of being a relatively fast solution with high revocability?
A. Temporary employees
B. Technological innovation
C. Turnovers
D. New external hires
The second step in human resource planning is goal setting and strategic planning. The goals should come directly from the analysis of labor supply and demand and should include a specific figure for what should happen with the job category or skill area and a specific timetable for when results should be achieved.
46. The most typical organizational responses to an expected labor shortage are:
A. fast response and low revocability.
B. fast response and high revocability.
C. slow response and high revocability.
D. slow response and low revocability.
The second step in human resource planning is goal setting and strategic planning. The goals should come directly from the analysis of labor supply and demand and should include a specific figure for what should happen with the job category or skill area and a specific timetable for when results should be achieved.
47. Which of the following options for reducing an expected labor surplus is a relatively slow solution, but offers the benefit of being low in human suffering?
A. Work sharing
B. Demotion
C. Retirement
D. Transfers
The second step in human resource planning is goal setting and strategic planning. The goals should come directly from the analysis of labor supply and demand and should include a specific figure for what should happen with the job category or skill area and a specific timetable for when results should be achieved.
48. Which of the following is not a major reason organizations engage in downsizing?
A. To stem current losses
B. To reduce future labor costs
C. To close outdated plants or introduce technological changes to old plants
D. To change the location of business due to economic reasons
We define downsizing as the planned elimination of large numbers of personnel designed to enhance organizational effectiveness.
49. Reasons for the failure of most downsizing efforts to live up to expectations include all of the following except:
A. downsizing efforts eliminate people who turn out to be irreplaceable assets.
B. short-term cost savings often turn negative in the long term.
C. downsizing efforts reduce a firm's competitiveness.
D. employees who survive downsizing become narrow-minded and risk-adverse.
There are a number of reasons for the failure of most downsizing efforts to live up to expectations in terms of enhancing firm performance.
50. This act requires that employers give workers 60 days warning regarding layoffs, as well as severance pay.
A. Employer's Liability Act
B. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
C. Age Discrimination in Employment Act
D. Equal Pay Act
Many employers seem to be unaware of this act, and because of the recession, there was spike in lawsuits in 2009 based upon this act.