CPWM Human Resources Management & Leadership 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A public works manager wants to apply situational leadership theory. For a new employee who is highly motivated but lacks technical skills, the BEST leadership approach is:
- Delegating — assigning full responsibility immediately
- Coaching — providing high direction combined with high support (Correct answer)
- Supporting — focusing on relationship building with little task direction
- Directing — giving clear instructions with close supervision and low support
Correct answer: Coaching — providing high direction combined with high support
Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership prescribes a coaching style (high task, high relationship) for enthusiastic beginners who need guidance and encouragement.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of disparate impact discrimination in public works hiring?
- A supervisor makes racially offensive remarks to a job applicant
- A physical fitness test required for all applicants disproportionately screens out female candidates with no job-related justification (Correct answer)
- A hiring manager intentionally rejects all candidates over age 50
- A department refuses to hire candidates with visible tattoos
Correct answer: A physical fitness test required for all applicants disproportionately screens out female candidates with no job-related justification
Disparate impact occurs when a neutral policy or practice disproportionately excludes a protected class without business necessity or job-relatedness.
Question 3: A public works department wants to improve its succession planning. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a succession plan?
- To identify employees who should be terminated if budget cuts occur
- To ensure continuity by developing internal candidates for key leadership positions (Correct answer)
- To document all positions that could be outsourced to private contractors
- To establish pay grades for promotions across the department
Correct answer: To ensure continuity by developing internal candidates for key leadership positions
Succession planning prepares the organization for leadership transitions by identifying and developing high-potential employees for future key roles.
Question 4: Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees in public agencies are entitled to how many weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year?
- 6 weeks
- 8 weeks
- 12 weeks (Correct answer)
- 16 weeks
Correct answer: 12 weeks
FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying medical and family reasons.
Question 5: A public works manager observes an employee making unsafe decisions on a job site. The employee has been with the department for 15 years. The manager should:
- Ignore it to avoid damaging a long-tenured employee's record
- Address the unsafe behavior immediately regardless of the employee's tenure (Correct answer)
- Wait until the annual performance review to document the behavior
- Assign a peer to monitor the employee instead of intervening directly
Correct answer: Address the unsafe behavior immediately regardless of the employee's tenure
Safety violations must be addressed immediately to prevent injury; an employee's tenure does not exempt them from safety accountability.
Question 6: Which motivational theory suggests that employees are motivated by the opportunity to fulfill higher-level needs such as recognition, achievement, and self-actualization?
- Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Correct answer)
- McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
- Vroom's Expectancy Theory
Correct answer: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs posits that humans are motivated by progressively higher-order needs, with self-actualization at the apex.
Question 7: A public works department is restructuring and must eliminate three positions. Which approach BEST minimizes legal risk and maintains employee trust?
- Select positions based on the supervisor's personal preference for retained employees
- Apply objective, documented criteria such as seniority, skills, and performance records (Correct answer)
- Eliminate all positions held by employees over age 55 to reduce retirement benefit costs
- Announce terminations without warning to prevent disruption
Correct answer: Apply objective, documented criteria such as seniority, skills, and performance records
Using objective, documented selection criteria for reductions in force protects the organization from discrimination claims and maintains procedural fairness.
CPWM Human Resources Management & Leadership 4
A public works manager wants to apply situational leadership theory.
For a new employee who is highly motivated but lacks technical skills, the BEST leadership approach is: