Leadership and Human Resources Flashcards
7 cards from real UMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Leadership and Human Resources flashcards as text
A newly promoted utility supervisor from a technical background struggles with delegating tasks. Which training intervention would MOST directly address this gap?
Answer: Supervisory skills training focused on delegation and empowerment
Supervisory skills training directly addresses delegation as a learnable behavior, helping technically strong employees transition into effective people managers.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a utility is required to provide a 'reasonable accommodation' unless it:
Answer: Poses an undue hardship on the employer's operations
The ADA requires reasonable accommodation unless doing so would impose an undue hardship, considering factors such as cost, resources, and operational impact.
A utility manager conducting an annual performance review should primarily base ratings on:
Answer: Documented observations and outcomes across the full review period
Valid performance ratings must be based on documented evidence from the entire review period to avoid recency bias and ensure fairness.
Which type of organizational conflict, when managed effectively, can actually improve decision-making and innovation in a utility department?
Answer: Task conflict involving differences of opinion on work approaches
Task conflict — disagreements about how work should be done — can surface new ideas and improve decisions when managed constructively.
A utility is required by OSHA to maintain injury and illness records on OSHA Form 300. Who has primary responsibility for ensuring these records are accurate?
Answer: The employer (utility management)
OSHA places recordkeeping responsibility squarely on the employer, making management accountable for the accuracy and completeness of Form 300 logs.
Which HR metric would BEST help a utility manager evaluate the effectiveness of its employee retention strategies?
Answer: Voluntary turnover rate by department
Voluntary turnover rate directly measures how many employees are choosing to leave, making it the most direct indicator of retention strategy effectiveness.
When a utility manager uses a '360-degree feedback' process, input is gathered from:
Answer: The employee, peers, direct reports, and supervisors
360-degree feedback collects performance input from multiple perspectives — including the employee's self-assessment, peers, subordinates, and supervisors — for a comprehensive view.