HRM in the Real World
A company notices high turnover in its first year of employment. It decides to add mentoring and better onboarding. These activities are part of which HR function?
What is employee development / training and development?
An employee wants to avoid rush-hour traffic and asks to work 7:00–3:00 instead of 9:00–5:00, while still doing 8 hours a day. What type of schedule would support this?
What is a flexible schedule / flex-time arrangement?
A restaurant adds a new vegan burger to its menu. Which part of the marketing mix is being changed first?
What is Product?
A children’s clothing brand focuses on parents with kids aged 2–10. It is segmenting based on what general type of variable?
What is demographic segmentation?
A small business owner wants to know, “Did we make a profit this year?” Which type of financial report should they read?
hat is the Income Statement / Statement of Earnings/P&L Statement (Profit & Loss?)
An HR manager compares pay and benefits at rival firms before changing their own compensation plan. What HR goal is this manager trying to achieve?
What is remaining competitive in attracting and retaining employees?
A nurse works four 10-hour shifts and then has three days off in a row. What kind of scheduling arrangement is this?
What is a compressed workweek?
A streaming service introduces a cheaper “ad-supported” subscription level. Which “P” of the marketing mix is this mainly about?
What is Price?
A fitness studio targets “busy professionals who value health and convenience” and offers short high-intensity classes near office towers. Which segmentation approach is this?
What is psychographic (values/lifestyle) segmentation?
A banker wants to see what the company owns and what it owes at a specific date before approving a loan. Which statement will they study?
What is the Balance Sheet?
A retail chain creates a clear path from “Sales Associate” to “Store Manager” with training at each step. This is an example of planning for what long-term HR need?
What is succession planning / career pathing?
A school keeps one full-time teaching position but splits it between two part-time teachers who coordinate lesson plans. What arrangement is being used?
What is job-sharing?
A local bakery starts selling through a food delivery app in addition to its store. Which part of the marketing mix is being expanded?
What is Place (distribution)?
A company studies what specific problem its acne cream solves for teens—clearer skin and more confidence. Which type of segmentation focuses on the benefit customers seek?
What is benefit segmentation?
An investor is less interested in profit than in where the company’s cash actually came from and where it went during the year. Which statement should they focus on?
What is the Statement of Cash Flows?
Employees complain they never know how well they’re doing until they get fired. Which HR practice is likely missing or weak?
What is performance appraisal / performance feedback?
A tech company allows some staff to work from home two days a week, using video calls and cloud tools. Which modern scheduling/work arrangement is this?
What is telecommuting / remote work / hybrid work?
A new brand of sports drink sponsors a major tournament and runs TikTok ads with athletes using the product. Which “P” is at work here?
What is Promotion?
Customers instantly recognize the swoosh on a pair of shoes and associate it with performance and style. What marketing asset is the company using here?
What is its brand / brand logo / brand identity?
A business records that customers owe it $50,000 for sales already made on credit. In which asset account is this recorded?
What is Accounts Receivable?
A firm offers gym memberships, mental health support, and wellness workshops to reduce burnout. Which broader HR objective do these programs support?
What is improving employee well-being / morale / job satisfaction?
Name one potential benefit and one potential challenge of giving employees more control over when or where they work.
What are, for example, benefit: better work–life balance, higher morale, lower absenteeism; challenge: harder coordination, supervision, communication, or fairness?
A company notices customers love its product but think it’s too expensive and hard to find. Which two elements of the marketing mix should it re-examine first?
What are Price and Place (distribution)?
A new snack brand wants budget shoppers to see it as “good quality at a lower price than national brands.” This is an example of what strategy in the consumer’s mind?
What is positioning (or market positioning as a value brand)?
A company estimates that a small portion of its credit sales will never be collected and records this in a separate account that reduces receivables. What is this account called?
What is the Allowance for "Doubtful Accounts", a contra-asset?