1. Right Answer: B
Explanation: Local legal policies exist outside an organization and are an external factor. The other factors are internal.
2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: The growth-share matrix and similar tools are used to prioritize investment by identifying where in the organization the greatest value lies. The assumptions are that a growth trend (rather than stasis or decline) predicts greater value and a larger market share indicates a stronger competitive position.
3. Right Answer: B
Explanation: The HR strategic planning process and the strategic plan it creates provide a critical link between corporate strategic plans and HR. They also ensure alignment between HR and the organization's mission, goals, and objectives.
4. Right Answer: B
Explanation: In the SWOT technique, a weakness is an element internal to an organization that is holding the organization back from meeting its strategic goals. Communication issues between departments can weaken productivity and inhibit performance toward organizational goals.
5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: When examining demographic factors during an environmental scan, organizations should examine age, gender, generational differences, geographic shifts in population, ethnicity, unskilled labor, and the nontraditional labor force. The other items should be considered while examining other factors during the scan.
6. Right Answer: A
Explanation: HR can provide the most value by ensuring that all HR implications are identified and fully considered. To do this, HR must be involved in the early stages of strategy development so they can be aware of and influence the organizational goals. HR also brings knowledge of the internal and external environments in which the company operates. In a growth-share analysis which business would be considered a question mark? Business in the star quadrant with small market share decline Business line with steady growth in new market segment Product line and market that will be obsolete within a year Proven product line with stagnant market share position
7. Right Answer: A
Explanation: Once the strategic direction of the organization has been determined, groups or individuals can meet with management to discuss their related goals and formulate strategies and tactics to achieve them. This type of participatory involvement will allow employees to make valuable contributions to the strategic plan, and employees will be more motivated to achieve their goals.
8. Right Answer: A
Explanation: Objectives tie to strategic goals, which in turn relate to the mission statement. Objectives are the most specific and measurable of the strategic statements.
9. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Environmental regulations are an example of regulations that vary from location to location and may change as the political environment shifts. Labor availability and costs refers to an economic force, innovative technology refers to a technological force, and employment laws refer to a legal force.
10. Right Answer: A
Explanation: Consumer price index data is an example of an important economic factor that should be included in an environmental scan. It is an indication of economic health, signaling inflationary and deflationary forces and possible changes in consumer spending habits. Regulatory changes represent a political factor, which may or may not have economic implications. Similarly, geographic shifts in population are social changes that may or may not affect the organization's workforce. Changes in workplace design and practices, such as telecommuting or the growth of mobile computing, could be social or technological.
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