BBP 20102: Human Resource Management (HRM)

Tutorial Questions (Set 1)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Resource Management

1. Define the term management and how it relates to human resource management (HRM).
2. Give five (5) characteristic differences between "Theory X" managers and "Theory Y" managers.
3. Describe in detail how Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be applied in the context of HRM.
4. Give two (2) limitations of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to be applied in HRM.
5. What are the main similarities and differences between Maslow's hierarchy of needs and ERG theory?
6. Explains how human resource management practice differs using an example of each of the following different scenarios.
(i) Labor-intensive factories versus automated factories
(ii) Manufacturing versus retailing
(iii) unionized versus non-unionized
(iv) Family-owned versus publicly listed company
7. List three (3) challenges of HRM in today's marketplace and explain each challenge using an example.
8. Give three (3) primary functions of HRM in human resource development.
9. Explains the functions that you have mentioned in question above (Q8) in the context of a fast food store operation.

Chapter 2: Global Development and Strategic Management

1. What are the employers' expectation of workers under the globalization era?
2. Explain two (2) positive and two (2) negative impact of globalization towards organization and HR practice.
3. Explain two (2) challenges of HR in the globalization era with an example for each challenge.
4. Explain the work-life balance trends and how it affects the Malaysian workforce.
5. Give three (3) examples of corporate strategies and describe one associated HR approach that can help to achieve each strategy.
6. Describe in detail the whole strategic management process using customer call center as an example.
7. Case Study: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given.

In 2004, Singapore Airlines (SIA) retrenched 130 of its IT staff and another 70 from its finance departments. The IT employees
were from its Data Center, End User Computer Support, and the Help Desk. These people were out-placed to IBM to whom SIA
has outsourced its IT infrastructure maintenance. SIA would write off $10 million in one-off costs associated with the staff
redundancy exercise, but would benefit from expected cost savings of about $15 million a year. (Taken from Ref[1]).

(i) Identify the strategic management practice that you can identify in the passage and give one (1) benefit and one (1)
disadvantage of doing so.
(ii) Discuss how does the retrenchment exercise is related to globalization.
(iii) Are the placement of former employees to IBM appropriate? State your reason.

Chapter 3: Recruitment and Selection of Employees

1. Define the following terms: (i) Recruitment (ii) Selection
2. Describe three (3) implications of a bad hiring decision.
3. Explain two (2) challenges of HR in the globalization era with an example for each challenge.
4. Elaborate the steps involved in a recruitment and selection process.
5. Is job recruitment a necessary exercise? What are the considerations for an organization when a job vacancy is available?
Explain the rationale behind a job recruitment exercise.
6. What are the main differences between job specification and job description?
7. Why a decent job title is important to a job seeker?
8. Define person/job specifications and give two (2) examples of such a spefication.
9. Explain the pros and cons of recruiting internal applicants and external applicants.

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BBP 20102: Human Resource Management (HRM)
10. Elaborate on five (5) factors that influences the ability of an organization to attract suitable candidates.
11. Describe one (1) benefit and shortcomings for each of the following employee information. (i) Application form (ii) Resume
12. Explain the following selection test using an example. (i) Aptitude tests (ii) Personality test (iii) Medical test
13. Explain the importance of equal opportunity laws implementation and how it would benefit the following parties. (i)
Organization (ii) Workers
14. Give two (2) examples of equal opportunity laws in the US.
15. Case Study: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given.

In August 1999, a former female flight attendant in Hong Kong started a lawsuit against Cathay Pacific after she was forced to
retire at 45 years of age, ten years earlier than her male colleague. In September 1999, she quit her job after 20 years of service
because of the rule that female cabin crew who joined before 1993 must retire at 45 while male crew members could work until
55. The female flight attendant said that the airline's policy violated Hong Kong's Sex Descrimination Ordinance, which was in
force since 1996. She claimed damages for loss of income since September 1998 and expenses on unsuccessful job searches. (The
Strait Times, 5th August 1999) (Taken from Ref[1]).

(iv) Discuss Cathay Pacific's policy of retiring female flights attendants at age 45 from HR's perspective.
(v) Does the female flight attendant have the right to claim losses of income and expenses on unsuccessful job searches
using the Ordinance in the passage? Why?
(vi) Must HR managers be aware of "equally employment opportunity" laws of various countries? Why?

16. Case Study: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given.

In Singapore, the Retirement Age Act ome into effect in 1993. The objective is to state a minimum retirement age for employees.
The current retirement age is 62. employers can ask the Ministry of Manpower for exemption where the jobs are physically
demanding, or hazardous for older workers. Other possible exemptions include workers in jobs that require alertness, dexterity
and good eyesight. The Ministry would also consider leaving out from the Act employees who are needed to keep a certain
corporate, or service quality image. (Taken from Ref[1]).

(i) Is 62 a "reasonable" retirement age for all workers?

(ii) Give examples of persons who should be encouraged to retire before 62.
(iii) Give examples of persons who should be encouraged to continue to work after 62.
(vii) What kind of arrangements should employers provide for employees who are approaching their retirement age?

Chapter 4: Training and Development

1. Is employee orientation part of training and development? Why would you say so? State your reasons.
2. Describe three (3) importance of a training program.
3. State and briefly describe the five steps of an effective training design.
4. Explain in detail how training needs analysis is performed towards new employee and existing employee.
5. Using customer service representative as an example, write out an example of three traning objectives that is aimed at
improving their work performance.
6. Explain the differences between on-the-job training and off-the-job training.
7. Describe two (2) effective training methods for managerial positions.
8. Explain the process of a controlled experimentation and how it can help in training evaluation.
9. Describe the primary difference(s) between skill development fund (SDF) and human resource development fund (HRDF).
10. Explain two (2) roles that a corporate can play in employee career development.
11. Describe briefly the processes involved before, during and after the interview process.
17. Case Study: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given.

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Suzie, Syarikat Zumaju's Sales Manager, read the memo she had just received from Sham, the Training Manager, and thought to
herself, "No way! I'm not going to let Sham get away with this. Last month he insisted 15 of the salespeople spend three days on
a course on Quality Control. I had my misgivings but I sent them anyway. On their return they grumbled constontly about what a
bored session it was and how their time had been wasted because the content was totally irrelevant to their jobs. Now Sham
wants another 10 participants. Well, he can just find them somewhere else!" (Taken from Ref[2]).

(i) Identify the mistakes made by Sham, the Training Manager.

(ii) What should the Training Manager do to ensure heads of departments willingly send their staff for training
programmes?

References
1. Dessler, G. and Tan C.H. (2005) Human Resource Management: An Asian Perspectice, 10th Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall, Singapore.
2. Aminuddin, M. (2008). Human Resource Management: Principles and Practices, first ed. Oxford University Press, Malaysia.