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Hbc 2126: Human Resource Management Question Paper
Hbc 2126: Human Resource Management
Course:Bachelor Of Commerce
Institution: Dedan Kimathi University Of Technology question papers
Exam Year:2013
DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013
FIRST YEAR EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF COMMERCE, BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND BACHELOR OF PURCHASING AND SUPPLIES MANAGEMENT
HBC 2126/HPS 2109: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
APRIL 2013 TIME: 2 HOURS
Instructions:
Answer question ONE and any other TWO questions
QUESTION ONE
PART 1: QUESTION ONE (COMPULSORY-30 marks)
As a production manager for ABC manufacturing Company, Joe Maina has the final authority to approve the hiring of any new supervisors who work for him. The human resource performs initial screening of all prospective supervisors and then sends the most likely candidates to Joe for interviews. One day recently Joe received a call from Pete Peterson, the human resource manager: ‘’Joe, I’ve just spoken to a young man who may be just who you’re looking for to fill that first line supervisor position. He has some good work experience and it appears as if you could possibly see him’’.
Joe hesitated a moment before answering, ‘’Gee Pete, he said. I’m certainly busy today but I’ll try to squeeze him in. Send him on down’’.A moment later Allen Mutua, the new applicant, arrived at Joe’s office and introduced himself. ‘’ Come on in, Allen,’’ Said Joe. I’ll be right with you after I make a few phone calls. Fifteen minutes later Joe finished the phone calls and began talking to Allen.
Joe was quite impressed with Allen. After a few minutes, Joe’s door opened and a supervisor yelled, ‘’ We have a small problem on line number 1(One) and need your help.’’. Joe stood up and said, ‘’Excuse me a minute, Allen.’’ Ten minutes later Joe returned and the conversation continued for more than 10 minutes before a series of phone calls again interrupted them. The same pattern of interruptions continued for the next hour. Finally, Allen looked at his watch and said, I’m sorry, Mr. Joe, but I have to pick my wife.’’ Sure Thing, Allen,’’ Joe said as the phone rang again. ‘’ Call me later today.’’
a) Explain the basic roles of the Human Resource practitioner [5 marks]
b) Explain why Joe and not Pete should make the selection decision. [3 marks]
c) Describe the factors that the organization should take into consideration when choosing a selection method for the first line supervisor. [5 marks]
d) You are the Human Resource Manager of this company. New employees have just reported and they require induction. Identify any five issues you will address in conducting the induction and placement for these employees. [5 marks]
e) “Human Resource Planning is a prerequisite for effective management of Human capital”.In the light of this statement analyze the significance of Human Resource Planning in organizations. [4 marks].
f) Training offers several advantages to employees and to the enterprise. Explain some of the merits of training. [4 marks]
g) In the recent trend by organizations to downsize and right-size they are opting for voluntary retirement schemes. Discuss two merits and two demerits of using this scheme. [4 marks]
QUESTION TWO
a) Flamingo Fish processing Company is facing acute employee absenteeism, high labour turnover and poor performance. The general manager has employed you as a human resource manager to help in reviving this organization as it concerns its manpower. Suggest four ways of ensuring high employee retention in this organization. [4 marks]
b) The field of human resource management has changed considerably over the years Discuss any three challenges facing modern human resource managers [6 marks]
c) Management has a responsibility to ensure that the workforce is free from unnecessary
hazards and conditions surrounding the workplace. Discuss any five measures organizations can put in place to prevent accidents in a manufacturing firm [5 marks).
a) James Okello, the chief Executive Officer, of Pesa International is experiencing workers complaints through the management has increased salaries for the third time this year. The organization has decided to adopt a piece-rate pay as a strategy. Discuss five potential disadvantages in adopting this pay-structure in the organizations. [5 marks]
QUESTION THREE
a) Besides lack of training on the interviewers, identify any three other factors that challenge the effectiveness of the interview activities (3 Marks)
b) The business environment has become very competitive and organizations are keenly addressing several factors that influence the kind of remuneration structure to put in place in order to remain competitive. Explain any three factors that organizations should consider when setting remuneration for their employees. (6 Marks)
c) Turnover refers to movement of employees in and out of the organization. However, excessive movement of employees out of the organization is undesirable. Explain the importance of conducting a labour - turn over analysis in an organization. (3 marks)
d) Briefly explain the factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing a training method. [8 marks]
QUESTION FOUR
A HR manager of a reputable company says in a workshop, “We used to recruit all our staff locally. Now we must recruit them both nationally and often internationally and this affects our reward systems”
a) Define the term reward management and identify any three objectives of reward management in this firm. [4 marks]
b) Briefly explain the meaning of the following terms as used in human resource management
i. Departmentalization
ii. Motivation
iii. Collective bargaining agreements
iv. Performance appraisal
v. Outsourcing [5 marks]
c) Define a trade union and outline any three roles it plays in an organization. [5 marks]
d) Recruitment provides a pool of candidates to enable management to select suitable candidates for different jobs. Clearly examine three external methods of recruitment bringing out an advantage of each method. (6 marks)
Q UESTION FIVE
a) Performance appraisal system must satisfy certain conditions/ requirements if it is to serve as a valid and reliable source of information for managerial decisions. From the above statement asses the requirements of a good appraisal systems. [12 marks]
b) Discuss four benefits of job evaluation in an organization [8 marks]
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