Study Guide Final
Chapter 1
Understand and know what organizational culture is (See slide 17 for details).
The psychological contract is the perceived obligations that the employees believe they owe the
company and what the company owes them (Slide 19 is where you will find your notes on this
topic).
Chapter 3
Be able to apply the McDonnell Douglas test to make a Prima Facie Case assessment based on
someone’s experience. Be able to determine if the burden of proof has shifted to the organization
or to the employee (see slide 9 for details).
Understand the definition of disparate treatment versus disparate impact (Slides 9&11).
Chapter 4
Thoroughly know the Job Characteristics Model (slide 9).
Don’t forget that the most important HR practice is job design/analysis. Everything else in HR
builds off of it. If you have a problem with an HR practice, start with job design (definition of
job design is on slide 4)
Chapter 5
Know and be able to identify the difference between labor demand, supply, shortage, and surplus
(Slide 3).
Know what a productivity ratio is and how it can be used in an organization (Slide 6).
Chapter 6
Know the ins and outs of internal recruitment. What are the pros and cons (Slide 11), and how
you would recruit internally (Slide 8).
Memorize the definition of a recruitment value proposition why it is important to an organization
(Slide 13).
Chapter 7
Know the definitions of reliability and validity and be able to identify when each is being
referred to in an applied question (Slides 9-11).
Know what person-job fit is an why it matters to an organization (Slide 6).
Chapter 8
Know what onboarding and employee orientation are and be able to differentiate between the
two (Slide 4-6).
Know what the different types of needs assessment there are and be able to differentiate between
each type (Slides 11- 14).
Chapter 9
Know the ins and outs of management by objectives (slide 18).
Know the different comparison approaches and be able to identify which approach is being used
in an applied question (Slide 9).
Chapter 10
Know the various components of the point method when discussing internal alignment (Slide
19). How it is calculated, why this is one of the preferred methods of internal alignment, etc.
Know what Broadbanding is and how the impact is has on the organization (i.e., the pros and
cons; Slide 37).
Chapter 11
Know the difference between a Scanlon plan and profit sharing (Slides 18-19).
Understand the different motivation theories (Slides 3-5, there are several questions that use and
test the different theories). Know how they apply, what the different component parts are and
how to identify which ones are which in an applied question.
Understand and know the pros and cons of lump sum versus merit pay programs for
organizations and employees (Slides 8-10).
Chapter 12
Know which benefits programs are mandatory and which are not (Slides 5 and 13).
Know the basics about social security, what does it cover, why was it implemented (Slide 6).
Know what a health savings account is, when you can and cannot have one, and why you might
want one (Slide 18).
Chapter 13
Know the different union types (Slides 14 and 16). There are actually several questions on the
material from these two slides.
What does it mean to come to the table with good faith bargaining (Slide 19)?
Know the Wagner and Taft-Hartley acts. What were the major reasons for and benefits of
passing each act (Slides 7 and 11)?
Chapter 14
Understand what it means to be an expatriate. Specifically, know what repatriation means (Slide
15).
What does it mean to be a third-country national? (See chapter 14 pdf, pg 539 of the 5e).
Know the different dimensions of national culture. Be able to distinguish between these in an
applied question (Slide 9).
Chapter 2
Know the diagram of an employment portfolio and the different type of HR systems in each
quadrant and their definitions. Be able to identify each one in an applied question (Slides 13- 17).
There are several questions from these slides.
Understand and know the purpose of an HR scorecard (Slide 20-26).