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SHRM-CP Competencies Questions - Part 29
1. Refer to the following scenario for the next 4 questions. The CEO of a manufacturing organization with multiple domestic locations wants to expand the organization's operations to a new country to gain access to new markets. The organization has no experience with manufacturing internationally or dealing with expatriate issues. The CEO decides to acquire a small manufacturing company in another country. The acquired company has grown significantly in recent years and is struggling to deal with its growing pains, with many of the management staff having only a few years of management experience. Cost savings are anticipated from acquisition, as it would allow for restructuring and resizing the workforce. However, employees fear that these changes will cost many of them their jobs, including transitioning domestic jobs to the location in the new country. The VP of HR believes that a fully integrated workforce strategy, including the design of leadership training, is needed. The HR manager in the new location has just resigned. In keeping with an ethnocentric approach, the VP of HR wants the position filled from the corporate office so as to retain as much control and consistency as possible between the home country and the new location. Which is the best first step for the VP of HR to take to assist in preparing a new workforce strategy?
A) A. Researching the local and country labor laws and customs in order to prepare a workforce strategy and making all decisions by himself
B) B. Engaging a consultant with expertise in local and country laws and customs to help in preparing a workforce strategy
C) C. Contacting the organization's local sales representative for advice on the local labor force and how best to approach integrating the organizations
D) D. Using the organization's current workforce strategy as a guide to developing a workforce strategy for the new location
2. What action should HR take first that would allow for retention of the greatest number of employees?
A) A. Increasing all employees' compensation so the organization will be a market leader in all locations
B) B. Researching Hofstede's value dimensions to appeal to the dimension of uncertainty avoidance
C) C. Collaborating with leaders to develop a customized approach to retention for each key employee
D) D. Offering employees seniority-based incentives to remain until the acquisition is complete
3. What action should HR take first that would allow for retention of the greatest number of employees?
A) A. Increasing all employees' compensation so the organization will be a market leader in all locations
B) B. Researching Hofstede's value dimensions to appeal to the dimension of uncertainty avoidance
C) C. Collaborating with leaders to develop a customized approach to retention for each key employee
D) D. Offering employees seniority-based incentives to remain until the acquisition is complete
4. Which action should HR take first when designing a leadership training and development plan for the newly acquired facility?
A) A. Implementing the domestic leadership development plan as a model, as this is now one company and everyone should develop the same skill sets
B) B. Interviewing the former president of the newly acquired facility for an assessment of staff leadership needs and, based on that, implementing the plan
C) C. Conducting a full gap analysis between current and future leadership needs of the new facility and then designing a plan to meet those needs
D) D. Asking the newly acquired employees what type of training they feel they need in order to best integrate with the rest of the organization
5. Which employee action is most likely to contribute to developing a global mindset?
A) Completing cultural diversity courses the employer offers
B) Demonstrating motivation to work in another country
C) Spending time in educational programs abroad
D) Learning another language based on organizational locations
A) A. Researching the local and country labor laws and customs in order to prepare a workforce strategy and making all decisions by himself
B) B. Engaging a consultant with expertise in local and country laws and customs to help in preparing a workforce strategy
C) C. Contacting the organization's local sales representative for advice on the local labor force and how best to approach integrating the organizations
D) D. Using the organization's current workforce strategy as a guide to developing a workforce strategy for the new location
2. What action should HR take first that would allow for retention of the greatest number of employees?
A) A. Increasing all employees' compensation so the organization will be a market leader in all locations
B) B. Researching Hofstede's value dimensions to appeal to the dimension of uncertainty avoidance
C) C. Collaborating with leaders to develop a customized approach to retention for each key employee
D) D. Offering employees seniority-based incentives to remain until the acquisition is complete
3. What action should HR take first that would allow for retention of the greatest number of employees?
A) A. Increasing all employees' compensation so the organization will be a market leader in all locations
B) B. Researching Hofstede's value dimensions to appeal to the dimension of uncertainty avoidance
C) C. Collaborating with leaders to develop a customized approach to retention for each key employee
D) D. Offering employees seniority-based incentives to remain until the acquisition is complete
4. Which action should HR take first when designing a leadership training and development plan for the newly acquired facility?
A) A. Implementing the domestic leadership development plan as a model, as this is now one company and everyone should develop the same skill sets
B) B. Interviewing the former president of the newly acquired facility for an assessment of staff leadership needs and, based on that, implementing the plan
C) C. Conducting a full gap analysis between current and future leadership needs of the new facility and then designing a plan to meet those needs
D) D. Asking the newly acquired employees what type of training they feel they need in order to best integrate with the rest of the organization
5. Which employee action is most likely to contribute to developing a global mindset?
A) Completing cultural diversity courses the employer offers
B) Demonstrating motivation to work in another country
C) Spending time in educational programs abroad
D) Learning another language based on organizational locations
1. Right Answer: B
Explanation: B is the best response, because a subject matter expert is able to provide customized information to best help the company succeed. A is incorrect. Independent research is a good way to learn about a new environment. However, while it is good to research the labor laws, employment rates, and customs, it is possible to miss important information that is critical in preparing a workforce strategy outside of one's home country. As such, decisions should not be based solely on the independent research of one individual who is not a subject matter expert in the particular area. C is incorrect. The local sales representative will have only limited information to offer. D is incorrect. Using the current workforce strategy ignores the labor laws and cultural differences in the new location.
2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. The new location's management knows the key employees and knows what it will take to convince them to remain with the organization. This organizational development intervention may result in a training session, a team-building workshop, or flexible work hours. A is incorrect. Increasing compensation has a short-term impact and does not ensure that employees will remain with the organization. B is incorrect. Knowledge of the new location's value dimension of uncertainty avoidance does little to calm the fears of the key employees. D is incorrect. Offering differing incentives to employees can be seen as showing favoritism and may upset employee relations.
3. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. The new location's management knows the key employees and knows what it will take to convince them to remain with the organization. This organizational development intervention may result in a training session, a team-building workshop, or flexible work hours. A is incorrect. Increasing compensation has a short-term impact and does not ensure that employees will remain with the organization. B is incorrect. Knowledge of the new location's value dimension of uncertainty avoidance does little to calm the fears of the key employees. D is incorrect. Offering differing incentives to employees can be seen as showing favoritism and may upset employee relations.
4. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. A gap analysis looks at the development plan from several different angles, often using a SWOT analysis. Gaps can then be prioritized using the criteria of permanence, impact, control, evidence, and root cause. A is incorrect. The new location may have different needs and/or laws. Using the domestic leadership development plan may be a good place to start, but it must be examined carefully to ensure that it is the best plan for the new location. B is incorrect. The former president of the facility will likely have thoughts about the effectiveness of the leadership team and its individual members. However, the president may not provide completely objective information. It is only one piece of the full gap analysis that needs to take place. D is incorrect. Asking the current leadership team about their training needs may be a good step to take when conducting a gap analysis. However, asking an individual about their own training needs will likely not provide for any blind spots that the individual has. A full gap analysis is needed.
5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Of the choices, the candidates most likely to have a global mindset are the employees who have actually spent time living outside their own countries. This provides daily interactions that embody cultural differences. The other actions will also help develop a global mindset, but they do not provide the firsthand, intensive experience in living in another culture.
Explanation: B is the best response, because a subject matter expert is able to provide customized information to best help the company succeed. A is incorrect. Independent research is a good way to learn about a new environment. However, while it is good to research the labor laws, employment rates, and customs, it is possible to miss important information that is critical in preparing a workforce strategy outside of one's home country. As such, decisions should not be based solely on the independent research of one individual who is not a subject matter expert in the particular area. C is incorrect. The local sales representative will have only limited information to offer. D is incorrect. Using the current workforce strategy ignores the labor laws and cultural differences in the new location.
2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. The new location's management knows the key employees and knows what it will take to convince them to remain with the organization. This organizational development intervention may result in a training session, a team-building workshop, or flexible work hours. A is incorrect. Increasing compensation has a short-term impact and does not ensure that employees will remain with the organization. B is incorrect. Knowledge of the new location's value dimension of uncertainty avoidance does little to calm the fears of the key employees. D is incorrect. Offering differing incentives to employees can be seen as showing favoritism and may upset employee relations.
3. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. The new location's management knows the key employees and knows what it will take to convince them to remain with the organization. This organizational development intervention may result in a training session, a team-building workshop, or flexible work hours. A is incorrect. Increasing compensation has a short-term impact and does not ensure that employees will remain with the organization. B is incorrect. Knowledge of the new location's value dimension of uncertainty avoidance does little to calm the fears of the key employees. D is incorrect. Offering differing incentives to employees can be seen as showing favoritism and may upset employee relations.
4. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best response. A gap analysis looks at the development plan from several different angles, often using a SWOT analysis. Gaps can then be prioritized using the criteria of permanence, impact, control, evidence, and root cause. A is incorrect. The new location may have different needs and/or laws. Using the domestic leadership development plan may be a good place to start, but it must be examined carefully to ensure that it is the best plan for the new location. B is incorrect. The former president of the facility will likely have thoughts about the effectiveness of the leadership team and its individual members. However, the president may not provide completely objective information. It is only one piece of the full gap analysis that needs to take place. D is incorrect. Asking the current leadership team about their training needs may be a good step to take when conducting a gap analysis. However, asking an individual about their own training needs will likely not provide for any blind spots that the individual has. A full gap analysis is needed.
5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Of the choices, the candidates most likely to have a global mindset are the employees who have actually spent time living outside their own countries. This provides daily interactions that embody cultural differences. The other actions will also help develop a global mindset, but they do not provide the firsthand, intensive experience in living in another culture.
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shrm shrmcp shrm-scp shrmscp shrm-cp Human resource management Organizational behavior Talent acquisition Performance management Compensation and benefits Employee relations Training and development Diversity and inclusion Legal and ethical considerations HR metrics and analytics Strategic planning Change management HR technology Workforce planning Labor relations Employment law Recruitment and selection Career development0 Comments
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