HRM 300T Wk 1 – Apply: Week 1 Apply Assignment 

Complete the Week 1 Apply Assignment in myEducator. You have 2 attempts to complete this assignment.

The results of unethical behavior in a business can be catastrophic, both financially and in reputation. Clearwater Electronics currently has a solid reputation as an ethical organization and wants to maintain that reputation. Top management has tasked the HR department to reinforce ethical behavior consistently throughout the company. Given that responsibility, why is it especially important for the HR professionals themselves to behave ethically?

Because HR professionals in positions of authority are responsible for creating and sustaining a positive work environment, it is important that they always behave ethically.

Because employees depend on HR to know about and enforce legal compliance, it is important for the HR professionals to set a good example

Because employees depend on HR to process their compensation and benefits, it is important to know that they can trust the HR professionals who process their payments.

Because HR professionals deal directly with employees, they are able to see when unethical behaviors occur and address them.

Clearwater Electronics has an employee recruitment and retention goal of 90 percent. How does HR planning best help the company meet or exceed its employee recruitment and retention goal?

HR planning helps the organization improve its plan to build an open and creative workplace.

HR planning helps the organization know how many employees the organization needs as well as what type of employees to hire.

HR planning helps the company determine whether it needs an HR recruiter.

HR planning helps synchronize the company’s financial obligations with its desire to pay its employees a competitive salary.

As the HR director of Clearwater Electronics, you know it is important for HR to be as close as possible to where the people and problems are located. Which reason best explains why it is important for HR to know the line managers and their needs?

Because line managers are the ones responsible for interviewing and hiring potential employees, it is best that HR collaborate on recruiting efforts to ensure the right people are hired.

Because line managers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees, it is necessary for HR to provide training to prevent accidents.

Because line managers are on the front line, HR needs to ensure they and their employees are protected from legal ramifications should something go wrong.

Because line managers are responsible for their employees, it is necessary for HR to empower them to implement HR initiatives and make sure they are successfully carried out.

Clearwater Electronics wants to strategically attract new talent to the organization to support future growth. Why is it important for the HR director to work with top management to improve the firm’s recruiting system?

Because the HR director is responsible for the firm’s talent management, it is important to work with top management to ensure the recruiting strategy meets the firm’s overall needs and attracts top talent.

Because the HR director is responsible for the firm’s talent management, it is important to work with top management to ensure the recruiting is legally compliant.

Because the HR director is responsible for the firm’s talent management, it is important to work with top management to make sure that those recruited will fit into the company culture.

Because the HR director is responsible for the firm’s talent management, it is important to work with top management to make sure employees are satisfied with their pay and that the firm has enough financial resources to attract top talent.

Caitlyn has worked in HR for Clearwater Electronics for more than 20 years. She has found that many employees are now more concerned with working in an environment where they can grow personally than with their level of compensation. How can Caitlyn and the HR department best provide opportunities for their employees to grow?

HR can provide training and development activities to help employees improve.

HR can provide a healthy and safe workplace environment.

HR can provide a creative and open workplace.

HR can continually monitor and measure employees’ satisfaction to ensure their employees are happy.

You are the HR director for Clearwater Electronics and have been invited to the organization’s yearly strategic goal-setting meeting. You started with the company six months ago, so this is the first time you have been invited to attend. Why do you think it important you attend this meeting, and how do you think HR can best contribute to the organization?

It is important to attend to maintain HR records and comply with regulations.

It is important to attend to better understand the organization’s strategic position in the market and align human resources with that strategy.

It is important to attend so you can share the information you gather with your staff and other managers to ensure that everyone is updated and kept in the loop.

It is important to attend to ensure that nothing discriminatory is discussed and to provide  on HR issues such as hiring, firing, and workplace violations.

Clearwater Electronics has installed several new machines that will improve line productivity. The training and development specialist at Clearwater Electronics is working with the line managers who are responsible for the new machines to develop a training program for line workers. Why is a training program needed in this situation, and how can it best help the employees?

Because none of the employees know how to run the new machines, the training program will give the line managers the opportunity to observe the employees and determine which ones are best suited for advancement.

Because the employees lack the technical skills needed to run the new machines, the training program will help them improve their knowledge and skills and thus improve their performance.

Because the employees lack the technical skills needed to run the new machines, the training program will help them comply with OSHA regulations.

Because none of the employees know how to run the new machines, the training program will allow line managers to observe which employees perform best.

Clearwater Electronics is having a hard time matching its demand for staffing needs. The COO has asked the HR director to develop a forecast to project temporary labor versus full-time employees. Why is this type of analysis helpful for human resource planning (HRP)?

Because HR planning provides a company with easy-to-use reports and tools, the HR director can prioritize workforce initiatives.

Because HR planning helps a company control unplanned talent costs, the HR director can focus on issues that limit employee productivity.

Because HR planning allows recruiters to identify good job candidates, the HR director can continuously be looking for top talent to fill open positions.

Because HR planning allows the company to understand employee demand and match it to the supply, the HR director will be able to assess more accurately how positions can be filled, whether internally or externally.

The HR recruiting specialist and line managers at Clearwater Electronics work closely together when hiring new employees. The line managers are ultimately responsible for the final selection of a new employee, but the HR recruiting specialist serves an important role by providing information about potential employees and arranging for interviews. Why is this service helpful to the line managers?

The recruiting specialist can help the line managers from rushing the hire because there is an immediate need to fill positions.

The recruiting specialist can help the line managers from relying too much on the interview, a common recruiting pitfall.

The recruiting specialist can help the line managers from interviewing applicants who are not qualified for the positions.

The recruiting specialist can help the line managers from expecting too much, too soon from new employees.

An employee on one of Clearwater Electronics’ production lines violated safety protocols by disabling a machine’s safety guard. The line manager wrote up the employee and submitted the violation to HR. Why is it important for managers and HR to work together to promote a safety-first culture?

It is necessary for them to work together because neglecting safety issues can cost the company substantially when workplace injuries occur.

It is necessary for them to work together because ignoring safety issues shows a lack of respect for employees as well as the company.

It is necessary for them to work together to make sure OSHA guidelines are clearly stated in many places on the production line.

It is necessary for them to work together to make sure employees pay attention and understand safety training offered by HR.

A line manager at Clearwater Electronics has just hired a female employee who is pregnant. Her baby is due at the same time production peaks, which is extremely inconvenient for the line manager, who is responsible for production numbers. The line manager did not know the employee was pregnant when he hired her. He has now hinted to the employee that her pregnancy will make it harder for her to do her job in the hope that with enough hints, the employee will decide to quit or transfer to another position. Clearwater Electronics has a strong policy to prevent and address employment discrimination. Why should the HR director become involved in this situation instead of leaving it up to the line manager to handle?

The HR director is responsible for ensuring the company maintains a culture of kindness and respect for all.

The HR director is legally responsible to enforce all antidiscrimination laws.

The HR director will be reprimanded if the employee files a complaint against the company.

The HR director is responsible for protecting the company against complaints brought by disgruntled employees.

The HR department at Clearwater Electronics has been asked to develop a job description for a new managerial position in Dubai. Clearwater’s policy states that subsidiary managers should be employees from the parent company. What benefits does the company hope to realize from this ethnocentric approach?

The ethnocentric approach will allow the manager to better represent the company subsidiary to the parent company.

An employee from the parent company will have a strong working knowledge of company policies and procedures, work ethic, and productivity, and can ensure that company guidelines are followed.

Ethnocentric staffing offers the opportunity for the manager to learn from and transfer foreign values to the company.

An employee from the parent company will cost the company less than it would cost to hire and train a local national from Dubai.

The HR director at Clearwater Electronics has been asked to work on the company’s globalization process. Management has specifically asked that all managers in the company subsidiaries come from the corporate office, and the HR director is developing a job description template with a list of competencies needed for these managers to be successful. In addition, she is developing a survey to assess family interest and needs. What is the best reason for the family survey to be included in any future job posting where a manager might take their family abroad?

Many incidents where expatriates return home early are due to family-related problems, and it is best to ensure that family needs and expectations are managed appropriately prior to relocation.

The family survey will help the company manage any family health issues prior to relocation.

A family assessment will allow the company to arrange for language and cultural instruction for all the family prior to relocation.

It is costly to relocate a family abroad, so it is necessary to assess needs, such as schooling, in order to manage costs effectively.

The HR director at Clearwater Electronics has had negative  from employees about perceived inequalities in compensation among its company subsidiaries. While the HR director believes compensation is already consistent and fair, a review of the compensation and benefits packages will be conducted and shared with the employees. Which of the following statements gives the best reason for conducting and sharing the compensation assessment?

It is important that employees believe their opinions matter.

It is important that employees perceive they are being treated equitably.

It is important that employees see that something is being done because of their .

It is important that employees see that their contribution is valued.

Clearwater Electronics just hired a new warehouse manager in India. He has several employees who report to him. The HR director will be training the warehouse manager to conduct quarterly performance appraisals and has sent him the performance appraisal form she uses for her own direct reports as a template. However, she has asked him to modify it to better assess the needs of the Indian subsidiary. Why is it important that the warehouse manager make the modifications?

It is important for the performance appraisal to be consistent among the company subsidiaries. Therefore, the warehouse manager can contact managers in other countries to see what their performance appraisals contain.

It is important for the performance appraisal to assess performance independent of culture.

It is important for the performance appraisal to recognize conflicts that arise in the subsidiary because of cultural differences.

It is important for the performance appraisal to assess competence and contribution to the company, but it is also important for it to be sensitive to Indian norms and values.